


Sugar and Spice

by Blankfreeze1958



Category: Figure Skating RPF
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-31
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:54:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 60,735
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27305890
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blankfreeze1958/pseuds/Blankfreeze1958
Summary: Figure skater Tessa Virtue just can't handle the thought of her precious little Emma getting checked into boards and tripped up by other hockey players. Hockey is by far more dangerous than figure skating.Leafs forward Scott Moir just can't bear the thought of his little Sadie flying through the air with nothing but ice beneath her. Figure skating is way more dangerous than hockey.
Relationships: Scott Moir/Tessa Virtue
Comments: 201
Kudos: 179





	1. Dangerous

Sadie watches her dad on the ice. She yawns and wonders if it's almost time to go yet. She turns and looks up at the clock. Another half hour. She sighs and turns back to the rink when she hears a little voice yell, "Ok! I will!" It echoes around the section of the arena Sadie's decided to occupy today. 

It's Friday and her dad's dragged her to yet another hockey practice. She knows he feels badly about it so Sadie doesn't complain too much, but she feels like she's old enough to stay at home on her own. Eight years is old enough to be self-sufficient, no? 

Sadie's dad seems to disagree. 

But Sadie perks up when she hears the sound of someone's footsteps coming from behind her. She turns to see a little girl in jeans and hightops and a yellow puffer jacket running in her direction. 

She's out of breath by the time she reaches the boards and slams into them playfully, her eyes wide as she watches the action on the ice. 

"Hi." Sadie says softly. 

The girl looks over at her as if coming out of a daze. "Oh." She says, and then smiles warmly. "Hi." 

her face and cheeks are flecked with freckles and her brown hair, which she's wearing down and under a Leafs beanie, is slightly messy. "I'm Emma." 

"I'm Sadie." Sadie says, feeling shy but glad to have someone else she can talk to while she waits. "Is your dad a one of the players?" 

Emma laughs. "No. I'm here with my mum. She's waiting for practice to be over. This is so cool! I've been to some Leafs games but I've never seen them practice before!" 

Sadie wonders if Emma's mum is one of the player's girlfriends. She's certainly seen her fair share of girlfriends over the course of her years around the Leafs. Most of them don't stick around, which is too bad because Emma seems pretty ok. 

"Do you have a favourite player?" Emma asks, her eyes trained on the team on the ice. 

Before Sadie can answer, Emma's jumping up and down. "That's Locke! And there's Moir! He's scored ten points in the last three games alone!" 

Sadie smiles that Emma seems so excited, but she doesn't really want to talk about hockey.

"I like your bracelet." Sadie says softly, choosing to try and direct the conversation to something she knows more about - fashion. 

"Oh." Emma says scrunching her nose. "I don't really like it. My mum gave it to me... You can have it!" 

She extracts the gold band from around her wrist and hands it over to Sadie.

"Really?" Sadie asks. She takes a closer look and sees the gold figure skate charm dangling from it. 

Emma shrugs. "Yeah, take it." And she turns back to the ice just in time to see a shot on net. She jumps up and down. "They're doing so well this year I really think we have a chance at the cup!" 

Sadie laughs quietly. Her dad says the same thing. 

The girls watch a bit more of practice, Sadie mostly looking down at her wrist to admire her new bracelet. 

"Aw." Emma says as practice ends and the players make their way off the ice. "That was so cool." 

Sadie chuckles. It's not so cool to her but it's nice to have a friend to hang out with while she waits for it to end.

* * *

The girls busy themselves talking about school for the next ten minutes. They realise that they attend school just down the block from one another, which is exciting as they've decided they would like to be friends. 

It's another few minutes later when Sadie's attention is captured by someone out on the ice. 

It's a woman with her hair pulled up in a messy bun. She's in black leggings and a pink ballet sweater with a purple shirt underneath. She whizzes by faster than Sadie's seen any hockey players skate.

"Woah." She gasps, and stands up to watch as the woman jumps and spins in the air before landing surely on a single blade of her skate. "Wow." 

"What?!" Emma asks, wondering if one of the players has come back out onto the ice, but she follows Sadie's gaze and sees she's just watching her mum. "Oh." Emma says, slightly disappointed. 

"What?" Sadie asks, slightly confused. "Don't you think that's amazing?" 

Emma shrugs. "That's just my mum." She says, pointing out on the ice to where Sadie is looking. 

Sadie's eyes grow wide. " _That's_ your mum?" She asks, her voice a bit squeaky in her disbelief. "She's like a ballerina." 

Emma shrugs. "She was a ballerina. Now she skates." It's no big deal to Emma. 

"Hey, kiddo, you ready?" A voice comes from behind the two girls and they turn to see Sadie's dad there. 

Now Emma's eyes grow wide as she realises it's the hockey player she'd been watching earlier. 

"Daddy, look!" She points out on the ice to the woman skating circles around the rink. 

"Wow." He nods. "Pretty cool, eh?" 

"That's Emma's mum." Sadie says. 

Scott's impressed with the command the woman they're watching has on the ice. Every sweep of her blade is incredibly precise in a way Scott has never seen before. He briefly admires the way the woman's legs look as she turns, but tears his eyes away before he can get too carried away. 

"And I take it this is Emma." Scott says, turning to Emma with a warm smile. 

Sadie nods. "We were just waiting here together."

"It's nice to meet you, Emma. Thanks for keeping Sadie company." Scott says, offering his hand. "I'm Scott.

Emma's a bit starstruck but she takes his hand. "H-hi." She says. "I know who you are." She says. 

"Oh yeah?" Scott asks. "Are you a hockey fan?" 

Emma nods. 

"Leafs or Canadiens?" Scott asks with a smirk. 

"L-Leafs." Emma manages, her face flushing. 

Scott smiles. "That's the right answer." 

Emma sputters a laugh. 

"Will we see you around next week, Emma?" Scott asks. 

Emma nods. "My mum's just started training here." 

Scott's eyebrows shoot up. He doesn't know much about figure skating but if Emma's mum is skating here then she must really have some clout in the sport. He supposes he shouldn't be that surprised judging by the way she's skating. "Wow, that's very cool." He says. "Well, we'll bring some snacks for you girls next time, how about that?" 

Sadie nods vehemently and takes her father’s hand excitedly. 

“You alright here, Emma? Do you want us to wait with you?” Scott asks, knowing he’d appreciate the same of someone talking to Sadie but also understanding that Sadie sits up here alone whenever he can’t get a proper babysitter. 

“I’m ok.” Emma says. “My mum takes me to lots of practices. I just wait.” 

Scott nods. “Alright, well, we’ll see you soon then.” Scott says with a smile. The girls wave to one another and Sadie and Scott walk off hand in hand. 

* * *

“Hey, baby.” Tessa says as Emma joins her by the boards while she unties her skates after practice. She’s sweaty and getting cold and is eager to change, but Emma looks so excited. 

“Mum I met Scott Moir!” 

Tessa smiles at her excitement. “Wow, how cool! He’s the… goalie?” 

Emma rolls her eyes and throws her head back. “No mum! He’s a forward.” 

“Oh.” Tessa says. It really doesn’t mean much to her, but clearly Emma is thrilled. Tessa’s tried to get into hockey, she really has but it’s just not her cup of tea… it’s ok to watch sometimes, but she doesn’t really care to know all the players or stats or even all the rules of the game. She tries for Emma’s sake but clearly she isn’t trying hard enough and she thinks maybe she should try a bit harder. She’s taken Emma to games in this very stadium but maybe she needs to do more.  “That’s very cool, Em! Was he nice?” 

Emma nods. “He was super nice! And I made friends with Sadie, his daughter. She’s in my year.” 

“Oh!” Tessa likes to hear that Emma’s being social. “That’s amazing, sounds like you had a good afternoon, then.” Emma nods.

“Can I come out on the ice?” Emma asks eagerly, and Tessa feels her heart beating faster. “Of course!” She says and leans over into her duffel bag for Emma’s skates. 

“Um… Can I just walk on it?” Emma asks. 

Tessa straightens up and looks at Emma slightly confused. 

“I don’t like those skates, mum. I told you.” 

“Oh.” Tessa says, the realisation hitting her that Emma doesn’t want to skate on the ice because that’s where her mum practices but because that’s where her favourite hockey team practices. Tessa hides her disappointment. Emma’s never liked figure skating so Tessa’s not sure why she’s surprised but it still hurts all the same. 

“Sure.” She says to her daughter, just hold my hand, ok?” 

Emma nods and takes her mother’s hand. 

They make their way out to the leafs logo on center ice and Emma looks up at the stands and pretends she’s on the team. How cool it would be to be a _hockey player_.  “Mum, can I get hockey skates?” Emma asks. 

Tessa chews her lip and looks down at her daughter who’s sill caught up in their surroundings. She sighs softly. She doesn’t like the idea of her little girl being checked into boards and tripped and pushed and whatever else aggressive stuff happens during hockey games that she doesn’t even know about. But she knows how much Emma loves hockey… It’s just… it’s just too dangerous. 

She’s about to attempt to explain this to Emma, looking down at her little hand in hers. Her sweet baby girl… wait…  “Honey, where’s your bracelet?” Tessa asks when she sees that Emma’s wrist is bare. 

“Oh.” Emma says. “I gave it to Sadie.” 

Tessa’s eyes go wide and her throat gets all dry and scratchy. “You _what?!”_

Emma swallows hard, she knows she’s in big trouble, but mum had given her that bracelet, no? It had been hers to give away. 

“She really liked it.” Emma says quietly. 

Tessa takes a shaky breath. This is not the place to have this conversation. She collects herself as best she can. “Let’s go.” She says, deadpan, and pulls Emma back to the boards. 

“Mummy, I’m sorry.” Emma says softly as Tessa rushes to get her things together and all but tears her skates off. 

Tessa doesn’t say anything. She can’t. It’s not totally Emma’s fault, she had no idea what it meant because Tessa couldn’t bring herself to explain it to her. If she tries to talk about it now she knows she’s going to cry and she doesn’t want Emma to see that so she just shakes her head. 

Emma waits quietly for her mother to finish getting her things together and then allows it when her mother takes her hand to lead to back to the car. 

* * *

Daddy, look!” Sophie says that night at dinner. She thrusts her arm out to show Scott her new bracelet.

Scott’s eyebrows raise. “Honey, where did you get that?” It’s clearly made of gold, not something a child would just find lying around. 

“Emma gave it to me!” Sophie says, proudly. 

Scott winces. “Honey, it’s beautiful but I think we need to give that back to Emma, ok?” 

Sophie’s smile disappears. “Why?” 

“Baby that’s a gold bracelet, they’re very expensive and I think maybe Emma didn’t know that when she gave that to you. It was very nice of her but we need to give that back.” 

Sophie’s bottom lip quivers. It’s the prettiest thing she owns. “I don’t want to give it back.” She says softly. “She didn’t even want it.” 

Scott sighs. “Sades, we need to check with Emma’s mum because someone obviously gave her that bracelet for a reason and I think maybe Emma forgot or didn’t know how much it meant.” 

Tears fill Sadie’s eyes. “But… It has a figure skate.” She says, pointing to show her father.

Scott nods weakly. He knows where this is going. 

“If I can’t keep the bracelet can I get my own figure skates?” Sadie asks. 

Scott runs a hand through his hair. He wants his baby to be happy more than anything but he can’t bear the thought of her flying around on the ice, especially without any pads on. He knows how much it hurts  when you fall ... and figure skaters pull way more dangerous stunts than hockey players. 

“Honey, we’ve talked about this, haven’t we? It’s just too dangerous.” 

Sadie can’t help the tears that start to fall from her sweet brown eyes. 

“Oh, baby, come here.” Scott says. He can’t handle it when Sadie cries.

But Sadie wants nothing to do with him right now. She pushes her chair back from the table and runs upstairs to her room, shutting the door and flinging herself down on her bed. She cradles the bracelet gently in her hands and fingers the charm. The skate is so pretty. And she thinks back to Emma’s mum and how pretty she looked on the ice and… Sadie wants to _be_ like that. 

Downstairs, Scott buries his face in his hands. He’s sure Sadie will understand one day. He’ll happily send her to ballet lessons, and he’d let her play hockey any day of the week if she were interested, but figure skating is just out of the question for his precious little girl. 


	2. A Coincidence

Three days later and it’s Monday. Scott finds himself rushing to get Sadie ready for her day at camp. She’s excited to be starting summer camp because it means she won’t have to stay with a babysitter all day or be dragged to dad’s hockey practice. 

Scott’s glad because Sadie’s happy.

That is until he reminds her about the bracelet he’s let her wear all weekend to avoid further confrontation.He thought the idea of going to camp might soften the blow of him forcing her to give it up, but he’s met with the same frustration he was three days ago. 

It’s time to put his foot down. He hates being the bad guy, but he has to play that role this morning.  “Sadie, if you don’t give me the bracelet to return you’ll have to come to practice with me this whole week. No camp.” 

That does it. Sadie loves camp. She sniffles and wipes away tears as she removes the bracelet and places it in her father’s hand. 

“Will you tell Emma I said thank you and tell her I’ll be back next week?” Sadie asks sorrowfully. She’d forgotten to tell Emma she wouldn’t be around this week. 

Scott strokes Sadie’s hair and wipes away her tears. “I’ll tell her.” He says softly. “This is the right thing to do, Sades. I’m proud of you.” 

Scott drops Sadie off at camp before heading to practice. He’s glad he bought a new coffee machine recently because it’s certainly going to be put to good use waking up as early as he has to in order to get Sadie to camp and then make it to practice on time. Good thing it’s summer so schedules at the rink are a bit more relaxed than usual. 

Scott tosses his bag down in the locker room and gears up for practice. While he’s out on the ice he keeps glancing up into the stands where Sadie and Emma had been standing last time. He’s waiting for Emma to show up, but as on-ice time ticks away, she’s nowhere to be seen. 

Scott takes his time after practice now that he doesn’t have Sadie bored and waiting on him to take her home.  He showers and changes and towel dries his hair and it feels loads better than walking out in his sweaty clothing. He’s about to leave the rink - He’s walking toward the exit with his bag slung over his shoulder - when he sees a blur on the ice. His head instinctually turns toward the movement and he realises it’s Emma’s mum. He’d almost forgotten about the bracelet. 

He walks toward the boards and starts waving his arms at her. “Hey! Excuse me!” He’s shouting, but he’s interrupted by a dark-haired woman with an accent. “Yes, excuse you.” She says. “My athlete is in the middle of a practice.” 

“No - I - I’m sorry I was just trying to return a bracel-“ 

“She’s not interested.” The woman says, and shoos Scott with her hands. 

Scott grumbles a bit. This woman obviously doesn’t know who he is. 

“No I’m not trying to sell her anything.” He says, slightly confused at the woman’s line of thought. 

“She doesn’t want your number either.” The woman says brusquely and turns with a “hmph.” 

Scott sighs. He supposes he’ll have to wait until next week for the bracelet. Hopefully Emma will be back then. 

There are two hours after practice that Scott has to himself before he has to pick Sadie up for camp, so he decides to do something special for her since he knows how heartbroken she was about the bracelet. 

He heads to his go-to jeweler and browses their bracelet selection. He particularly likes this jeweler because they know exactly who he is - the owner’s a big hockey fan, but he doesn’t make a big deal out of it, and he won’t bother Scott unless Scott has a question. 

So he quietly peruses his choices - bracelets that clip and ones that dangle, some that are solid and twist on. He chews his lip. It’s difficult picking jewelry out for someone else. Last time he did this he was… He shut his eyes and tries not to think about it. Every time he thinks about her he finds his blood boiling. He shakes his head. His baby. She gave him his Sadie-girl and that’s all that’s important right now. 

“Hey, Ed?” He calls to the owner who hurries over to the counter. 

“I’ll take this one.” 

Ed smiles up at him. “Who’s the lucky lady?” He asks. Scott usually only purchases watches or chains for himself or comes in with his daughter occasionally. 

“Ah it’s a surprise for Sadie.” Scott says. “The only lady I need in my life.” He chuckles. She certainly keeps him busy. 

Ed chuckles back as he removes the bracelet and wraps it gently, setting it in a velvet jewelry box. “She’ll love it.” Ed says, taking Scott’s card.

* * *

Tessa’s exhausted by the time practice is over. It had been an uphill battle getting Emma off to camp this morning. She wanted to come back to the rink to catch the end of the Leafs practice again and to see her new friend. 

Tessa had signed Emma up for camp two months ago when they’d moved to Toronto from Montreal, thinking it’d be a good way to get Emma out of the house - or a stuffy hockey arena, during the summer and to get her socialising with other kids her age. 

Emma had just barely caught the tail end of school when they’d moved and didn’t have any friends yet. Tessa hadn’t anticipated her meeting a friend at the rink the previous week, but she figured Emma would have a better time at camp anyway. 

Tessa had, however, been keeping an eye out for Emma’s little friend as she wanted to speak with her about her bracelet. 

Every time Tessa thought about it missing was like a blow directly to her heart. She’d had a hard few nights falling asleep this week knowing that it wasn’t in the house.  Tessa was heartbroken when, by the end of practice, she hadn’t spotted any little girls wandering the arena.  The thought that her bracelet might be gone forever brought tears to Tessa’s eyes, even as Marie France was going over the practice schedule for the rest of the week with her. 

“Mon cher, what’s wrong?” Marie asks as she sees the tears in Tessa’s eyes. She rests a hand on her arm. 

Tessa shakes her head. “I’m sorry - I… I lost a bracelet recently and it just meant a lot to me and -“ 

“Oh.” Marie says. 

“What?” Tessa asks, cocking her head. 

“A man came by earlier saying something about a bracelet.” Marie says, feeling sorry she’d waved him off so suddenly. 

“What did he say? Where is he?” 

“I thought he was trying to pursue you.” Marie says, smiling slightly. 

Tessa looks at her incredulously. 

“Quoi! It’s happened before!” 

Tessa crosses her arms.

“I’m sure he’ll be back! He worked here as a um… comment tu dis uh… _janitor,_ je pense.”

Tessa sighs. She’s not sure who this mystery man is now - if he’s a hockey player or a custodian. It doesn’t really matter, she just wants her bracelet back. 

She resigns herself to looking for it tomorrow and heads out to pick Emma up from camp. She had enough time to shower after practice which was nice as she wasn’t rushing to rescue Emma from the boredom of sitting around in the empty stands. She feels squeaky clean in her sundress with her hair down as she pulls up to camp. 

She can see the kids in a circle in the middle of a large field with a lake on the other side where they must have gone kayaking. Tessa smiles. She’s sure Emma will have forgotten about how upset she was she couldn’t watch the Leafs if it meant she could go _kayking._

* * *

Scott’s biding his time, waiting for the kids to finish their… circle time… or whatever it is they’re doing out in the field. He’s excited to give Sadie her present and he’s thinking about what they should do for dinner when a woman catches his eye. She climbs out of a power blue sedan wearing a black sundress with her dark hair falling over her shoulders and Scott can’t help but let himself watch her. She’s beautiful and she looks incredibly toned and she’s… she’s… _fuck_ she’s someone’s mum. She’s probably married and he should really keep his thoughts g-rated while he stands adjacent to a field of children, but he watches her anyhow. She’s walking toward him, looking at her phone like something’s wrong. 

She’s come to stand under the shade of the main camp building out of the hot sun, which had been Scott’s idea as well. There are a few other parents around but Scott only sees this woman. He wonders what’s going on that’s gotten her looking at her phone like she want’s to throw it straight at the ground. But then she looks up and her expression doesn’t change, she just looks out at the lake. She’s upset and Scott can’t help wondering why. 

“Um, excuse me.” He says.

The woman doesn’t even look at him. She hasn’t heard him, she’s so distracted. 

“Excuse me.” He repeats, and the woman does a double take. 

“Oh.” She sighs deeply. “I’m sorry were you talking to me?” 

Scott nods, smiling sheepishly. “Is everything ok?” He asks, “I mean… It’s none of my business but you just seemed upset.” He’s berating himself for asking. This truly is none of his business and he’s just going to seem nosy and maybe kind of creepy and he hopes she knows who he is but clearly there’s no recognition at all on her face so he’s just some random dude to her and why would she even want to talk to him? 

But her expression softens slightly to Scott’s surprise. “Oh.” She says again. “That’s nice.” She nods. “Sorry, I was just thinking about something I lost and wondering how I’ll get it back.” 

“Oh.” Scott says nodding. “I’m sorry.” 

Tessa shrugs. “Ah, kids, right?” 

Scott chuckles. “You lost your kid?” 

It takes Tessa a moment but she giggles at this stranger’s boldness. “No.” She says. “My kid lost something of mine.” 

Scott nods. “Gotcha. Well at least you still have the kid.” 

Tessa smiles. “I’ve got that going for me.” She says, “Though she certainly does give me a run for my money.” 

“Mine too.” Scott laughs. The afternoon glow looks brilliant on this woman and he finds himself charmed. 

But suddenly, as is the unpredictable nature of summer, a thunderstorm seems to roll in. The sky darkens and the first few fat raindrops begin to fall. 

There’s a loud clap before the sky opens and it begins to pour. It all happens in a matter of seconds and without a thought, he pulls his windbreaker off and holds it over his and the woman’s heads, running her back to her car as the circle of children breaks up and they begin running back toward their parents. 

“Thank you.” The woman says breathlessly, and Scott smiles gently at her, admiring one last time the way she looks, slightly flushed now from their efforts to avoid being soaked. "Good luck finding what you're looking for." He says before turning and running back to his own car. 

It’s another ten seconds before Sadie’s yanking the back door open and scrambling in soaking wet and giggling. 

Scott’s smile stays plastered to his face. He loves that sound. He turns around in his seat. “You good, kiddo?” He asks, handing Sadie a paper napkin as if it’ll help her dry off. Sadie wipes her face and nods, smiling widely. “That was fun!” 

“Yeah?” Scott asks. “I hope camp was a bit more fun than the thunderstorm.” 

Sadie nods again. “Yeah, and guess what!” 

“What’s that?” Scott asks, bemused. 

“Emma was there!” 

It takes Scott a minute to recall that Emma is Sadie’s new friend from the hockey arena. What are the odds?

“Emma - you mean…” And then he realises that the woman he was talking to… that was Emma’s mum. She looked so different off the ice with her hair down he just hadn’t realised… And the thing she was missing… the bracelet that he had in his hockey bag… oops. 

By the time he looks back toward the powder blue sedan it’s gone.

* * *

Tessa’s halfway home when Emma finishes listing off the things they got up to at camp that day - kayaking and fishing and tag and duck-duck-goose and swimming and a scavenger hunt. 

_God bless those counselors,_ Tessa thinks to herself. 

“Oh yeah and my friend Sadie was there!” 

Tessa almost stops the car in the middle of the road. “Sadie from the hockey arena?” She clarifies, looking at Emma in the rearview mirror. 

Emma nods, smiling. “She says her daddy’s was going to give me the bracelet back but I wasn’t at the rink today. But I’ll get it back, mum, don’t worry.” 

Tessa can’t help but laugh at the absurdity. 

“Hey, what’s so funny?” Emma asks, never liking to be left out of a good joke.

Tessa shakes her head. “I just can’t believe the odds of it.” She says, pulling into their driveway. 

“Come here, you.” Tessa says as she opens the door for Emma, who’s busy rummaging around in her backpack. Tessa holds her arms out for her daughter who falls into them easily.

“Oh, I missed you so much.” Tessa says into Emma’s hair. “I’m so glad you had a good day.” 

“Mumma, we made bracelets at camp.” Emma says softly against Tessa’s chest. “I made mine for you.” 

Tessa pulls back and tears fill her eyes. “Oh, baby, you didn’t have to do that.” She says. 

Emma pulls the bracelet from her backpack. “I made it all yellow so it looks like yours. They didn’t have a figure skate so it has a sun on it instead because you remind me of the sun.” 

Tessa thinks her heart might actually literally melt in her chest and she pulls her daughter back against her, holding her close. 

“I love it.” Tessa says, her voice scratchy. “Thank you so much, Em.” 

“Mum?” Emma asks in her little voice. “Will you tell me about the other bracelet now?” 

Tessa tenses slightly. “Not right now, honey, let’s get you in some dry clothes before you catch a cold.” 

Emma’s about to protest but sees the tears in her mother’s eyes. Tessa tries her best to hold them back. “And after you’re all dry, will you help me put on my new bracelet?” Tessa asks. 

Emma smiles widely and nods eagerly, proud that her mother wants to wear the thing she’s made for her. 


	3. The Not-Janitor

It’s early the very next morning and Emma is watching one of her sports talkshows while Tessa gets things ready for the day. She always thought it was funny how into those shows Emma was. They’re so very _boring_ to Tessa, just a bunch of slightly greasy looking men throwing stats around, but Emma loves them so Tessa doesn’t say anything. Sometimes, if she has time she joins Emma to watch a bit. She doesn’t get anything out of the sports part of it but it’s more than worth it if it means she gets to cuddle her baby a little longer. 

Tessa finishes getting Emma’s lunch together and tucks it in her backpack for camp before flopping down on the sofa next to Emma. Training’s been really hard this week and she finds herself rather drained most mornings, but she looks down at the bracelet Emma made her and immediately perks up and lunges for Emma, wrapping her in a tight hug and taking her so much by surprise that she starts giggling wildly in the way that Tessa loves. 

“Mum! We’re missing the part about the leafs!” Emma complains through her giggles. 

“You’re more important than leaves.” Tessa says, hugging her tighter. 

“ _Leafs.”_ Emma corrects, squirming out of Tessa’s arms and standing. “Look! It’s Sadie’s dad!” 

Tessa looks up at the television and sure enough that’s the man she was talking to yesterday. She chuckles to herself. 

“What’s funny?” Emma asks, as is her way to always want to be in on the joke. 

“No - I … Well, Marie France was talking to him yesterday. I guess he was looking for me so he could give the bracelet back, but she thought he was a custodian.” 

Emma balks and shakes her head. “Honestly, you two.” 

Tessa laughs at how mature Emma can be at times and wonders where she heard that phrase. She looks back up at the screen. He’d certainly be the most attractive custodian she’d ever seen… She’d been so distracted yesterday she’d hardly noticed his eyes… and his hair… and his arms…

“Mum, can you help me?” 

“Hm?” Tessa jumps slightly, pulled from her daydreams and flushes a bit at how silly she was being. She looks over at Emma. “Oh, baby.” She sighs. “I told you you need to start brushing your hair _before_ bed.” 

Emma’s hair is always a mess in the morning, and Tessa suspects taming it before bed will do wonders but Emma’s been unwilling to try in that department of late and now her hairbrush is literally stuck to her head. 

“Come here.” Tessa says, and works skillfully at the knot in Emma’s thick dark hair until she can extract the brush. Emma tries to get up immediately once she realises she’s been freed, but Tessa grabs her hips and sits her back down on the sofa. “No way, not so fast. You’re not going to camp with a rats nest on your head.” 

Emma whines softly but doesn’t protest. Her mum’s quite good at detangling so at least it doesn’t hurt. 

“We could do a bun?” Tessa suggests. She always wears a bun to practice and when Emma was little they would match their hairstyles all the time. 

“No.” Emma says quickly, and Tessa steels herself to the hurt. It’s just Emma getting older. She wants to be _herself._ Tessa knows this, but she misses the days when Emma would want to be just like her. 

“Ok.” Tessa says nonchalantly. “Ponytail?” 

Emma nods and Tessa acquiesces. 

And then they’re off to camp. 

Tessa doesn’t bother waiting around for Mr. Scott Moir, hockey player and definitely not-custodian, because she knows she’ll see him at the rink and she has to be at the gym before on-ice practice. Plus, if he practices before her she’s sure he’s in a rush. 

* * *

It’s halfway through her on-ice practice when she hears Marie calling to her.  “Tessa! Le concierge is back!” 

Tessa bursts into laughter halfway through a jump before pivoting and skating back to the boards. Marie’s standing there with her arms crossed and Scott’s just grinning sheepishly. 

“I don’t speak French.” He says to both women. “But I hope _le concierge_ translates to _that charming gentleman_ rather than _that creep that keeps trying to talk to you._ ”

“It’s close.” Tessa assures him with a sly glance at Marie who just grins mischievously. 

“Is it?” Scott asks, straightening up a bit and squaring his shoulders. 

“I’m going to take a quick coffee break.” Marie says, seeing herself off. 

Scott watches her walk away for a minute before turning back to Tessa. “She scares me.” He says, and Tessa smiles widely. She does think he’s kind of charming. 

“Uh, anyway.” Scott says, running his hand through his hair. “I’m sorry I had no idea it was you yesterday … I just … you looked different in a dress - I mean you still looked really good - I mean… not that I’ve been _looking_ I just…” He squeezes his eyes shut. _Jesus, dude, pull it together_ he thinks to himself. “Anyway, I have your bracelet. I’m so sorry about you missing it. As soon as I saw Sadie had it I told her we had to give it back. She didn’t understand what it was when Emma gave it to her.” 

Tessa shakes her head, though it was rather enjoyable to see him squirm. “No, it's alright. Emma didn’t understand what it was when she gave it away. Thank you for returning it.” She says, waiting for him to pull it out of his pocket, but he doesn’t move.

“Yeah. Kids, right?” He says.

Tessa laughs and nods. “Emma seems really fond of Sadie. We’re somewhat new to the area and she doesn’t have many friends yet, so it’s really nice that they seem to get along so well.”

“Oh, where are you guys coming from?” Scott asks. 

“Montreal.” Tessa says. “It’s been kind of a whirlwind, the past month, but I think we’re finally starting to settle in here.” 

Scott smiles warmly. “That’s awesome, I’m glad to hear it. Will you be around for a little while then or?” 

Tessa nods. “The foreseeable future, anyway. Marie had to relocate here for family reasons so I had to follow and drag Em along with me.” 

Scott chuckles. “Well you guys should come over for dinner sometime so we can properly welcome you to the neighbourhood.” 

Tessa smiles. “That sounds lovely.” She says softly. 

Scott nods, his attention captured by her eyes. He gets lost in them for a moment, and Tessa must allow herself to be distracted by his as well because they both jump when Marie claps her hands together. 

“Break over. Now we work. Au revoir.” She says, waving at Scott. 

Scott bows his head, not about to argue with her. He’s about to walk away when Tessa pipes up. “Uh, bracelet?” 

“Oh.” Scott says, laughing at himself. She’s quite good at distracting him, apparently. “Sorry.” He says, reaching into his pocket and handing it over to her. 

Tessa smiles and takes it gently. “Thank you _so_ much.” She says, slipping it onto her wrist and stroking her thumb across it. She decides she’ll keep it herself for now… at least until she can bring herself to explain its importance to Emma. 

Scott watches the way she handles it and knows it must be incredibly important to her. He wonders slightly why that sentiment wasn’t communicated to Emma but doesn’t allow himself to get too caught up in thought about it. It’s really none of his business and Marie is eyeing him like it’s time for him to go. 

“Le concierge doesn’t really mean charming stranger, does it?” Scott has to ask. 

Tessa and Marie both laugh and Marie shrugs. “I thought you were the janitor.” She says. 

Scott winces and whines slightly. “Aw. You guys know I play hockey, right? I mean no offense to janitors but… I play for the leafs.” 

Tessa just laughs at the innocence with which he says it. He sounds so genuinely disappointed that they don’t think he’s _cool_ just for being a hockey player. “Don’t worry. I think Emma might be your biggest fan.” Tessa says.

And Scott brightens slightly and laughs. “I actually think Sadie might be yours.” He says, before Marie interrupts again. 

“Oh, mon Dieu! Enough flirting, back to skating!” 

Tessa and Scott both blush. “We weren’t…” Tessa says in a hushed voice to Marie, though Scott can hear her perfectly well. “We weren’t _flirting_.” 

He can’t help but smile at her embarrassment. It’s endearing. 

“Anyway I’ll see you at pickup.” He says. 

Tessa’s face is flushed pink now and she offers him a quick nod before turning and skating back to center ice with a speed and control like Scott’s never seen before. He wishes he could stay to watch some of her practice but he thinks Marie might actually physically remove him from the rink herself, and he doesn’t want to mess with her, so he heads out. 

* * *

After practice, Tessa goes to pick up Emma and sees Scott standing in that same spot as yesterday as he watches the kids in their circle. 

Tessa gets out of her car and he looks over and waves. She’s in another sundress and Scott tries not to think about the way she looks. 

“Hey.” Tessa says as she joins him.

“Hey yourself.” He says back. “Hope I didn’t bring the wrath of your coach down upon you today for all my rude _janitorial_ interruptions.” 

Tessa laughs and shakes her head. “Marie’s all bark and no bite.” 

“Really?” Scott asks, not quite believing that. 

“Well…” Tessa trails off. “Just don’t end up on her bad side and you’ll be fine.” 

“Was that not her bad side?” Scott asks confused. 

“Oh no, she likes you.” Tessa says. 

“Oh.” Scott says hoarsely, nodding. Yeah, he’s scared of that woman. “Hey,” He says. “I realise now I didn’t get your name.” He laughs sheepishly. 

Tessa smiles and offers her hand. “Tessa Virtue.” She says, and watches Scott’s face soften. “That’s a beautiful name.” He says, and he really means it.

Tessa blushes and chews her lip, unsure how to respond, but eventually comes back with, “And you’re His Royal Highness Mr. Scott Moir, Leafs forward and definitely _not_ janitor, correct?” 

Scott barks out a laugh and squeezes her hand perhaps a bit tighter than he’d meant to. “That’s right.” He says, a twinkle in his eye. 

They release each other’s hands and the two of them stand side by side watching the kids a moment longer when their shoulders touch. Tessa immediately feels a rush of heat starting in her stomach and working its way up to color her face and Scott feels the same rush moving in the opposite direction. 

They both pull away and Tessa steps back slightly. “I’m sorry about what Marie said.” She says. “About the whole flirting thing.” 

Scott shrugs. “Eh, she’s French. Everything is flirting to them.” 

Tessa laughs nervously just as the kids are released for the day. 

“Please don’t tell her I said that.” Scott says out of the corner of his mouth. It makes Tessa laugh once more before they hear a little girl shouting “Daddy!” 

She’s small, smaller than Emma, and wearing a powder pink halter top and jean shorts with pink sandals. Her toes are painted pink and her long blonde hair is pulled back into a ponytail. 

Tessa takes another step back as the girl rushes into Scott’s arms and Tessa watches as he lifts her up easily and hugs her tightly. 

“Hi, sweetheart.” He says, and Tessa feels like she’s intruding on a private moment. She looks for Emma instead, missing the days her little girl would come running to her like that. Emma and Sadie are the same age from what Tessa understands but Emma seems so different and definitely not into anything _pink._ Tessa loves her for it, of course, but wishes Emma would want to get their nails painted together or go shopping. 

Tessa finally spots Emma tossing a tennis ball up as high as she can and trying to catch is as she slowly meanders her way in the general direction of the parking lot. Tessa shakes her head adoringly. Emma certainly is her own person. 

“Sades, this is Tessa, Emma’s mum. I was telling her how you liked to watch her on the ice the other day.” 

Scott sets Sadie back down, and the little girl looks up shyly at Tessa. She’s adorable and definitely has her father’s eyes. 

“Hi.” She says softly. 

Tessa beams at her. “Hi Sadie, nice to meet you.” 

The little girl looks upset for a moment, before Tessa realises she’s looking at the bracelet on her wrist. 

“I’m sorry I took your bracelet.” Sadie says guiltily. “I didn’t mean to make you sad.” 

“Oh, honey, no that’s alright. It was nobody’s fault, really, especially not yours.” Tessa says to the little girl who’s now looking down at her feet. 

“Thank you so much for helping to get it back to me, though. That was such a kind and mature thing of you to do.” Tessa says, and watches the girl brighten just as her father had earlier. 

“Sadie look!” 

The three of them turn to see Emma toss a tennis ball up into the air, twirl around three times and catch it firmly in her hand.

“Cool!” Sadie and Scott exclaim at the same time, and Tessa just laughs. “Come here, you monkey.” She pulls Emma into a hug. “I missed you.” 

“Your bracelet!” Emma says brightly as she notices the gold on Tessa’s wrist along with the string one she’d given her. 

Tessa nods happily. “Your very kind friend Sadie and her dad got it back to me.” 

Emma smiles at Sadie and then looks up at Scott “Thank you.” She manages, and Tessa rolls her eyes at the way her normally so outgoing daughter is so starstruck by this hockey player. 

“You got it, kiddo.” He says, and then looks up at Tessa. “At least someone thinks I’m cool.” 

“Mum, can Sadie come over for dinner?” Emma asks. 

Tessa tenses up. “Oh, honey, maybe another night, ok?” 

Emma looks disappointed but nods and Tessa lets out a relieved sigh having dodged that bullet. She gets incredibly anxious whenever she’s forced to cook for anyone other than Emma. Cooking is definitely not where she excels. 

“Your mum and I were just talking about Sadie and I maybe having _you_ guys over for dinner, actually.” Scott says. “I didn’t know you were new to the neighbourhood.” Emma beams and nods and Tessa has to laugh at how that’s been a negative thing to Emma up until now. 

"How about tomorrow night?” Scott suggests. 

Emma looks up at her mom. “Can we, mum!? Please?” 

Tessa laughs and looks up at Scott to make sure that it’s really ok with him so soon, but he’s just grinning at her so she shrugs. “Alright.” She says. “Tomorrow night it is.” 


	4. Understanding

Tessa texts Scott after practice the next day to ask if she should bring anything to dinner. 

_Just yourself_

Is is reply, and Tessa finds herself relieved but stops off at the market anyway to pick up a box of freshly baked cookies. 

Scott’s offered to pick the girls up from camp so they can hang out while he works on dinner and Tessa will meet them a bit later so she can take her time after practice. It was a very thoughtful thing of Scott to do and Tessa appreciates it. 

She’s changed into a dark green sundress after practice. She’s taken to wearing dresses when she’s out of practice - it makes her feel like her life is more balanced, especially when it’s not competition season, because all she wears all day at practice is athletic clothing. So she’s got her green dress today and a pair of pretty wedges and she looks like … well, she looks like a mum … which she supposes exactly what she is … and she’s happy with that. She’s not exactly sure why she’s being so critical of her appearance but she wants to look nicer. Scott is so - well, he doesn’t look like a _dad._ Not _just_ a dad, anyway. 

Tessa shakes the thoughts from her mind before throwing the box of cookies in the passenger seat and heading off to the address Scott’s texted her. It’s only about a five minute drive from the condo she and Emma are temporarily calling home.

It’s a large yellow house with brick stairs and a big front yard. Scott’s truck is in the drive but it’s the only thing that hints toward his masculinity. Otherwise, there are pink little toys scattered across the front lawn - a jumprope, a bicycle, a soccer ball and a babydoll. Tessa smiles. It’s not what she expected when she pictured the home of one of the Leafs most prolific players. 

“Hey.” Scott says as he answers the door. “I … “ He blinks and Tessa sees his eyes rake over her which immediately makes her self conscious. He clears his throat like he can’t quite find the words, and he actually can’t. Scott wants to compliment her but wants to go about it the right way. He’s not sure what this woman’s personal life is like. She could be married for all he knows (though she doesn’t wear a ring and Emma’s never mentioned her father). But the bottom line is that he’s not sure who else is in her life, and he doesn’t want to make a fool of himself.

“You look really nice.” He says, his face flushing with the effort that went into his lame compliment. 

“Oh.” Tessa says, not sure what to think. “Thank you.” She hesitates for a moment before adding, “So do you.” 

He’s in a black T-shirt and dark jeans. He’s got socks on his feet - no shoes, so when Scott steps back to invite her in, Tessa slips her feet from her shoes and sets them to the side where it’s clear Scott keeps his shoes. 

“Oh you don’t have to do that.” He says. “It’s just a habit from when I was a kid.” 

Tessa shrugs. “It’s a good habit.” She actually does the same at home anyway.

Scott smiles and leads her into the kitchen. It’s large with marble countertops and olive cabinets. It’s a beautiful kitchen and Tessa tells him so.

Scott waves the compliment off and takes the box of cookies Tessa’s holding. “I thought I told you not to bring anything.” He says, smiling. 

Tessa shrugs. “I never come to a dinner empty handed.” 

Scott cocks his head. “I see where Emma gets her manners. She took her shoes right off as well.”

“Oh?” Tessa inquires. 

Scott nods. “Plus she kept asking me if there was anything she could do for _me.”_ Scott laughs. 

Tessa laughs as well though she’s so proud of her little girl.

“The girls are just outside.” Scott says pointing out the double doors into the large backyard. 

Tessa sees Emma and Sadie playing hopscotch on the patio. 

“Thank you so much for having us tonight, it was so kind of you to offer.” 

“No problem.” Scott says. “I just like impressing people with my cooking skills so it’s self-serving, really.” 

Tessa laughs. “Well I certainly think Em and I will be impressed, it smells delicious.” 

Scott grins. “Yeah? It’s my mum’s lasagna recipe. Wine?” He asks, pulling a red and a white from a wine cabinet. 

Tessa glances from one to the other, trying to see if there’s one open already. It makes Scott chuckle. “It’s _for_ you.” He says. “I’ll open whichever one you want, don’t worry about it.” 

Tessa blushes. “I prefer white.” She says. 

Scott nods and pops the cork, pouring Tessa a tall glass and then one for himself. He generally prefers red, but he wants to make her feel at home so he does’t open the red so she won’t feel like she’s put him out opening the white. She hasn’t, but obviously she’s thinking that way. 

“So I have a confession to make.” Scott says, leaning back on the counter. 

Tessa looks at him expectantly.

“I googled you.” Scott says. “Well, actually Sades googled you and I um … helped her delve.” 

“Delve?” Tessa asks. “Oh jeez how far?” 

Scott laughs. “Not far - I mean … we watched you skate. You’re … fucking amazing.” 

He sees Tessa’s lips twitch up into something resembling a smile at the swear and knows how she feels - it’s not often they hear someone use _adult_ language when they’re around kids all the time and it’s refreshing. 

“Well - um thank you.” Tessa says. 

Scott nods. “And you weren’t going to mention you’re an olympic gold medalist were you?”

Tessa flushes. “It’s not something I generally bring up, no.” 

Scott laughs. “Well I’m super impressed. And I think Sadie’s even more so. She was trying to learn the moves to one of your routines.” 

Tessa laughs. “Oh, that’s so sweet.”

Scott actually does think it's very sweet how enamoured with Tessa Sadie is. Tessa's like a Disney princess to her and Scott can see why. She's beautiful and talented and incredibly kind. 

* * *

Outside, the girls are involved in their own conversation. 

“Your mummy is here.” Sadie observes excitedly from her spot on the patio. 

Emma cranes her head to see her mother and nods. 

“Does she always wear dresses?” Sadie asks. 

Emma shrugs. “She has lots of them.” 

Sadie nods. She wishes she had more dresses too. She makes a note to ask her dad for some she can wear to camp and school. Daddy doesn’t like to go shopping, but sometimes he’ll go just to make Sadie happy. Then Sadie finds herself thinking about how shopping is for Emma. She bets that it’s nice because Emma’s mummy probably likes shopping… Which sparks a question in her mind…

“Emma?” Sadie asks, “Where’s your daddy?” 

“Oh.” Emma says. “He’s in heaven.” 

“Where’s that?” Sadie asks. 

“Up in the sky where all the angels live. That’s where people go when they die.” 

“Oh.” Sadie says. “So your daddy’s dead.”

Emma nods. “I never met him. He died before I was born.” 

“Oh.” Sadie says softly. She doesn’t like to think about how things would be if she never met _her_ daddy. 

“Where’s your mum?” Emma asks, now that they’re on the topic. 

Sadie jumps through the hopscotch board they have drawn on the cobblestone. “She’s somewhere but I don’t know where. Not heaven. I see her sometimes, but daddy doesn’t let me go with her.” 

Emma cocks her head. That sounds confusing. “Why doesn’t she live with you?” 

“Mummy and daddy fight a lot." Sadie says. Mummy’s too busy to see me most times but it’s ok because my daddy is really nice.” Sadie tries her hardest not to get sad about her mother, but most times when she thinks about her, it’s impossible not to feel sad. 

Emma nods. “You dad _is_ really nice.” 

Sadie smiles despite the way she’s feeling. “Your mummy is really nice too.” 

Emma shrugs. “She’s ok.” 

“She was in the olympics!” Sadie exclaims. 

Emma nods. It’s never been a big deal to her. Her mum is just her mum. “But your dad’s in the NHL!” Now _that’s_ something to be impressed by, Emma thinks. 

Sadie shrugs. “Hockey’s boring. I want to figure skate.” 

“Well, why don’t you?” Emma asks. 

Sadie pouts. “My daddy says it’s too dangerous.” 

Emma’s eyes grow wide. “That’s what my mum says about hockey!” 

“My daddy would let me play hockey.” Sadie says, “Just not figure skate.” 

“My mum would let me figure skate, but not play hockey.” 

The girls look at each other for a moment before bursting into laughter. 

“My mummy would teach you to skate. She’s really good and always trying to get me to skate with her but I don’t like it.” 

Sadie jumps up and down. “Really!? My daddy could teach you to play hockey!” 

“Girls!” Scott shouts from the kitchen door. “Dinner’s ready!” 

* * *

The four of them sit down to eat and Tessa leans over to kiss Emma’s head. “How was camp, baby?” 

“Good.” Emma says, stuffing her mouth full of lasagna and nearly jumping out of her chair. “Mum, this is way better than your food!” 

Scott laughs and Tessa’s face turns beet red. “That’s one of those keep-to-yourself comments.” Tessa grumbles. 

Emma looks up apologetically and then gets excited again. “Oh, mum! I told Sadie that you could teach her how to skate!”

“Oh.” Tessa says, looking over at Sadie. “I would love to. Sadie, do you want to learn how to figure skate?” 

Sadie nods vehemently.

“Whoa.” Scott interrupts. “That’s very nice of Tessa to offer but Sadie, we talked about this.” 

Tessa cocks her head. 

“It’s too dangerous, kiddo, I’m sorry.” Scott continues. 

Sadie crosses her arms and pouts. “But you would teach Emma to play hockey.” 

“Well… yeah I would.” He looks up at Emma, who’s grinning. “Hockey’s not dangerous.” He says. 

“I’m sorry, but I disagree.” Tessa chimes in. “And Emma, we’ve spoken about this as well.” 

Scott cocks his head. “Hockey’s not dangerous - well… ok it’s maybe a _little_ dangerous, but figure skating is way more dangerous.” 

“Really?” Tessa asks, somewhat sarcastically. “Because last time I checked there weren’t people skating fifteen miles an hour in order to push me into the boards in figure skating.” 

“Yeah, well at least you have pads on in hockey… and a helmet.” Scott says. 

The girls exchange a glance. 

“I started out in a helmet.” Tessa says. “And I practice every single element in a gym hundreds of times before I ever try it on the ice.” 

“Well, I didn’t start out with people chasing me down.” Scott says, defensively. “Checking isn’t even allowed until high school level, and before that you learn the proper way to check someone to avoid physically injuring them.” 

“So can I?” Sadie pipes up, looking hopefully at her dad, who just keeps looking at Tessa. 

“So… It’s safe?” Scott asks. 

Tessa nods. “She’d be wearing a helmet and I’d be there next to her the whole time.” Tessa explains gently, understanding where Scott’s fear comes from. “We don’t do anything scary until we practice it on foot first.” 

“Oh.” Scott says. He hadn’t known that. He chews his lip and looks down at his daughter before taking a deep breath. “You’ll be right there with her the entire time?” He asks Tessa.

Tessa nods. “The entire time, I promise.” 

Scott closes his eyes tightly and prays he won’t regret this. “Alright.” He says finally. 

“Yay! Thank you, thank you thank you daddy!” Sadie exclaims, reaching out and hugging him around the neck. Tessa giggles.

“Yeah, yeah.” Scott says, though he can’t keep the grin at seeing his daughter so happy from his face. “I think you owe Tessa a thank you.” 

Sadie comes over to her side of the table to hug her. “Thank you Tessa. Thank you, thank you.” 

“Of course!” Tessa smiles brightly. “I’m so excited.” 

“Mum!” Emma interrupts. “Does that mean I can take hockey lessons?” 

Tessa chews her lip. “Honey, I think Scott is probably very busy.” 

“No, on the contrary.” Scott says, smiling because he knows exactly how Tessa’s feeling right now. “I’d love to teach her.” 

Tessa sighs. She can’t rightly say no now, especially when she’s just agreed to coach Emma’s new best friend. 

“Alright.” Tessa says. “But you’re going to wear a helmet and -“ 

Emma doesn’t hear the rest of the protective gear Tessa lists off because she’s too busy jumping up and down and celebrating to hear. 

The girls are so excited that they finish dinner quite quickly and head back out to the yard to play. 

Tessa stays inside to help Scott clean up. 

“I can’t believe you thought hockey was more dangerous than figure skating.” Scott says, chuckling as he loads the dishwasher. 

Tessa shakes her head. “I can’t believe you thought the opposite.” 

“I think we need an unbiased party to weigh in on this.” Scott says. 

“I agree.” Tessa confirms. 

* * *

Outside the girls are giggling to themselves as they discuss how easy it was to play their parents off of each other.

“We should do the same thing for girl scouts.” Sadie suggests. 

“Do you think it would work?” Emma asks. 

Sadie nods. "I know my daddy would pick you up."

It had been something the girls had discussed at camp over the past week. Sadie’s girl scout troop was accepting new members and Emma really wanted to join. She thought the idea of camping out and learning to tie knots and survival skills really outweighed the part where she would have to sew pretty crafts and sell cookies. Her mother was excited about the idea at first - she thought Emma was interested in the sewing pretty things part, but she quickly realised the schedule wouldn’t work out because she wouldn’t be able to pick Emma up until an hour after girl scouts was over. 

Emma had been really upset. First she couldn’t play hockey, then she couldn’t join girl scouts. 

Tessa had been crushed herself. She wanted to give Emma everything but it was so _so_ hard out here. Her mother and sister lived hours away and she just didn’t have time to look into a babysitter right now. Nor did she like the idea of letting a complete stranger shuttle Emma around a city they were unfamiliar with.  Tessa had lost sleep over the matter, in fact. It was so very hard. 

But the girls decided to try their little experiment later that night when Tessa and Scott were sitting at the fire pit, each with another glass of wine. The girls were amused by their parents and how they seemed to get along really well. 

“They look like boyfriend and girlfriend.” Sadie giggles. 

Emma laughs and nods. “That’s silly, though. My mum doesn’t have boyfriends.” 

“Yeah, my daddy doesn’t have girlfriends that much either.” Sadie says. 

Meanwhile, Tessa and Scott are deep in conversation. 

“So how do you like Toronto?” Scott’s asking Tessa. 

Tessa shrugs and takes a sip of wine. She likes the way Scott’s arm is gripping the armrest of his chair and her eyes dart down to see the definition in his arm. Scott might have noticed had he not been too busy trying to keep his wandering eyes checking out the divot of Tessa’s collarbone and the way she had those freckles flecked across her chest. 

Tessa laughs and forces her eyes back up to his just as he does the same. There’s something about his eyes that put her at ease. They’re incredibly expressive and warm. “It’s a nice city. We haven’t really been able to see much of it yet. We’ve just been so busy moving our whole lives around.” 

Scott nods. “That sounds hard.” 

Tessa nods back. “It would be ok if it were just me, you know? I just feel awful about changing Emma’s whole world. I feel like… and she’s just so _different_ than I was at that age sometimes I think maybe I don’t know what she needs. Which sounds awful because I’m her mother and … oh I’m sorry, you don’t want to hear about this. I’m really sorry. Gosh.” She flushes and takes a long sip of wine.

“No, no.” Scott clamors. “Really, don’t be sorry at all I completely understand I mean - I feel that exact way. It’s not just you.” 

Really?” Tessa asks looking up. 

Scott nods and smiles reassuringly and it puts Tessa right at ease. “I just don’t know how to do things sometimes. Sade’s is such a girly-girl, you know?” He chuckles. “And I try my best but I’m a gross hockey player.” He laughs remembering the time Sadie referred to him that way when he picked her up all sweaty after practice.

Tessa smiles kindly. “I wouldn’t say _gross._ ” She says. 

“No?” Scott looks over at her, leaning slightly closer.

“No.” Tessa says softly, watching the way Scott’s lips twitch up into a slight smirk. 

The girls puzzle over the way their parents are looking at one another.

“He wants to kiss her.” Emma says. 

“Really?” Sadie asks, cocking her head. She’s intrigued. 

Emma nods. That’s the way my auntie’s boyfriend looks at her before he kisses her. 

Sadie furrows her brow. “Do you think your mummy likes my daddy?” 

Emma shrugs. She’s never seen her mother romantically interested in a man, but she’s also never seen her mother look at someone the way she’s looking at Sadie’s daddy.

“Isn’t your daddy married to your mummy?” Emma asks. 

Sadie shakes her head. “No. They were never married.” She says simply. 

“Oh.” Emma nods. “My parents weren’t married either.” 

“Really?!” Sadie’s very excited to meet someone else with such a similar background. 

Emma nods. “My mum doesn’t talk that much about it but I know she wasn’t married to my daddy.” 

The girls look back over at their parents who keep looking at each other _that_ way. 

“Mum, can I do girl scouts with Sadie?” Emma says, making her way over to the adults. 

Tessa looks up and over at Emma. “Honey, we already said no.” 

“But daddy, you could drive us, right?” Sadie asks, chiming in.

Scott looks over at Tessa, who looks mortified. “I’m sorry. Sadie, honey, your daddy has more than enough for us already.” Tessa says.

“No - I mean… It’s alright. I mean - I’m driving Sades anyway, so I can just pick them from camp or school and bring them over. 

Tessa shakes her head. “I couldn’t get Emma until an hour after. It’s just - She normally comes to the rink with me and works on her homework there until I’m done practice… I just - I mean I know it’s not the best but I don’t have a sitter and…” 

Scott hates how flustered Tessa seems suddenly. “Hey, it’s ok. No need to explain. We totally get it. I had to drag Sadie with me to every single game this past year." He hadn't found a consistent sitter and it he'd just felt better knowing Sadie was right there with the guys on the team who he trusted completely.   


Emma’s eyes light up at the prospect but Sadie grimaces as she remembers how bored she'd been. 

Scott’s admission puts Tessa slightly at ease. “She can come over here after scouts and they can do their homework together. It’s no bother, really.” Scott adds. 

Tessa hesitates. “Scott, I can’t ask you -“ 

“We don’t mind it at all, really.” Scott says. “I owe you one for the whole bracelet thing.” 

Tessa smiles. “You really don’t. You were the one that brought it back to me.” 

Scott smiles at Tessa in a way that has the girls puzzling over them all over again. “Well, maybe next time we’ll do dinner at your house then.” 

Tessa tenses up. “Um - sure.” She says, already regretting it, but Emma and Sadie burst out into a celebratory dance and Tessa just has to laugh at those two manipulative little cuties. 

“Daddy, did you know Emma’s daddy doesn’t live with them like mummy doesn’t live with us?” Sadie says in her excitement. 

Emma wishes her friend hadn’t said that because she knows her mum doesn’t like talking about her dad. 

Tessa blushes and Scott glares at Sadie. 

“Sadie, you know it’s not polite to bring up other people’s business like that.” 

Sadie drops her eyes to her feet. She hadn’t meant to upset anyone, it’s just that none of her other friends only live with one parent so she thought her daddy might be excited to know how similar they are. 

Scott turns to Tessa. “I’m so sorry - I don’t know what -“ 

Tessa’s already waving him off. “It’s alright.” Tessa says, though she can feel her stomach twisting. “Emma, baby, we should get going, go get your things together, ok?” 

Emma nods and heads inside with Sadie following behind her. 

“Don’t talk about my daddy with my mum.” Emma says as she gets her shoes from the hallway and slips them on.

“I’m sorry.” Sadie says, feeling awful. 

Emma puts a hand on her shoulder. “It’s ok.” She says. “My mummy just gets sad about it still.” 

“Do you think she misses him?” Sadie asks. 

Emma nods. “I think so. Do you think your daddy misses your mum?” 

Sadie shakes her head. “No. But I do think he’s lonely.” 

Emma frowns. “Why?” 

"He’s just always alone all the time and sometimes when he doesn't know I'm looking he looks really sad.” 

Emma thinks on that for a moment. Her mother’s always alone all the time too. Is she lonely? “Do you think maybe they can be boyfriend and girlfriend?” Emma asks. “And then they won’t be lonely anymore?” 

Sadie shrugs. “I don’t know how that works.” 

Emma smiles self-assuredly. “I bet we can figure it out.” 

Sadie grins. 

* * *

Outside, Scott’s still apologising, though at the very same time he’s putting two and two together that Tessa’s a single parent and maybe the looks they’ve been exchanging have been a little more than friendly.

“It’s really alright.” Tessa says, wishing he would just drop the subject all together, but knowing she’s going to have to provide an explanation. “We were so young and - well, he died in a car accident.” It’s the quickest possible explanation because had she said another word, Tessa’s voice would’ve broken and she’d have started crying. 

And in fact, Scott can tell she’s close to tears and he feels just awful about it.

“Tessa.” He says softly. “I’m so, so sorry.” 

Tessa shakes her head. “Hey, if you need a minute…" He says. “That was just out of nowhere and it’s hard being a single parent and especially someplace new - I can’t even imagine.”

A tear escapes Tessa’s eye and she can feel that her face is flushed red with embarrassment at her emotion. She seems like a complete mess and she’s sure Scott’s judging her parenting. Only … only maybe he’s _not_ because he genuinely looks like he cares … He reaches out and runs a hand down her shoulder. He’s only known her for about a week but he finds it hurts him to see her upset. 

“Tess.” He says softly and she looks right up at him because he hasn’t called her _Tessa_ and it feels _personal_ and she thinks maybe she’s made a friend and that makes all the difference because it means she’s not all alone in this strange new place. And the look Scott gives her back - one that says he’s been all alone too and he understands what it’s like being a single parent confirms that. She has a friend.

“Can I?” Scott asks softly, offering his arms.

Tessa looks up at him a moment to make sure he means it. She feels like a complete lunatic right about now, but Scott doesn’t seem to think that at all. He just looks like he _understands,_ and so few people do that Tessa walks right into his arms. 

* * *

“Look.” Sadie says to Emma, pointing out the doors in the kitchen at their parents. 

“Oh.” Emma says. 

Scott’s holding her mum really tight, and Emma’s never seen her mum hugging someone outside of their family like that - like she really needs it. 

* * *

“Maybe we can just forget this happened?” Tessa asks as she pulls back from Scott’s hug. 

Scott gives her a weak smile. “This whole thing?” He asks. “Because I kind of liked that hug part.” He says. 

Tessa’s cheeks colour again and Scott runs a hand down her arm reveling in the silky feel of her skin. “We can forget whatever you want.” He says. “But somehow I don’t think those little gremlins are going to be so forgiving.” He nods to the door where Tessa turns to see Sadie and Emma, their little noses pressed to the glass looking out at them. The girls scramble as soon as they notice the adults looking at them and Tessa laughs. “Well.” She says. “You win some you lose some.” 

“And tonight was?” Scott asks. “Before you answer I did make you my famous lasagna _and_ give you a coveted Scott Moir trademark bear hug. 

Tessa smiles softly. “A win.” She says. “With all that how could it not be?” She pushes at Scott’s chest teasingly and he grins, glad to see her feeling slightly better. 

“Don’t tell all the other mums at school I cried. They’ll tear me apart.” 

“I don’t talk to the mums at school for a reason.” Scott says. 

“But you talk to me.” Tessa says softly. 

Scott rakes his bottom lip through his teeth in a way that makes Tessa shudder. “You’re different.” He says. 

Tessa laughs. “Oh yeah. I’m not like the other mums I’m a _cool_ mum.” She jokes. 

“No.” Scott says. “Well, yeah I do think you’re cool… but I also think you’re genuine and really…” 

Tessa looks up at him and he takes a step closer and Tessa places a hand on his chest before glancing back at the kitchen door where she sees Emma and Sadie dive out of the way when they catch her looking. She laugh and shakes her head, pulling back from Scott. “I should get going before those two hurt themselves.” She laughs. 

Scott chuckles though he kind of wishes she could stay a bit longer. It seems both Sadie and _himself_ have made a new friend.

* * *

“Thank you so much for having us.” Tessa says as Scott walks she and Emma to the door. 

“Of course.” Scott says. “So Em, hockey lessons this weekend, yeah?” 

Tessa grumbles about having to get her gear but Emma just jumps up and down. “Yeah!” And she fist-bumps Scott.

“Um.” Sadie says, shyly. “Tessa. Can I still have lessons too? I’m really sorry about what I said.” 

Tessa smiles sweetly at little Sadie and kneels down so she can talk with her at eye level. “Of course Sadie.” She says, “I’m sorry if it seemed like I got upset. Sometimes it’s hard for me to talk about things like that, but that’s not your fault. I know you didn’t mean anything by it sweetheart. Come here.” She pulls Sadie into a hug and the little girl quickly reciprocates. “Can you show me how to do your hair like yours?” Sadie asks softly, and Scott’s heart just about melts. 

Tessa nods. “I’ll show you whatever you want.” She says quietly and Sadie hugs her tighter. 

Scott feels slightly emotional at the way his daughter craves a female influence in her life. She has so many interests that Scott just can’t help her with, but Tessa’s been nice enough to offer and he thinks she and Sadie are very sweet together. 

“I’m getting all the Moir hugs today.” Tessa says as they pull back and Tessa stands back up. 

“Yep, best hugs around.” Scott says proudly and Sadie grins up at him. 

* * *

On the car ride home Emma asks her mother, “Mum, do you like Scott?” 

“He’s very nice.” Tessa replies. 

Emma’s about to ask if Tessa wanted to kiss him when Tessa speaks up. 

“Em?” She asks, meeting her daughter’s eyes in the rearview mirror. “You’re the most important thing in my life. You know that, right?” 

Emma nods. She does know that. 

“I love you so much, baby. And I know sometimes we can’t do the things you want to do because we just don’t have the time or the help but if I can figure out a way for you to do them I will. I just want you to be happy.” 

Emma smiles at her mother. “I just want you to be happy too, mummy.” She says softly. And she wonders if she and Sadie can’t devise their own little plan to make that happen.


	5. Ballerina Hair

“Mum I’ll be fine.” Emma says for what feels to her like the thousandth time that day. She and Tessa have gotten to the rink early - Tessa quite likes to be early, something Emma’s come to roll her eyes at as well, but it’s just who her mother is and at least she never misses anything which is nice. 

Tessa checks that Emma’s helmet is secure for the twelfth time.  “I know, I just want to make absolutely certain.” Tessa says, sticking her tongue out in concentration as she ties Emma’s hockey skates. _They’re so much chunkier and less graceful than figure skates_ Tessa thinks to herself, _but Emma loves them and that’s all that matters._

“Hey Em! You look ready to go!” Scott says as he comes down to join Tessa and Emma at the boards. 

“Yeah!” Emma says enthusiastically. 

Tessa smiles weakly.

“You ready, T?” Scott asks with a smirk. 

_T._ It’s new and Tessa likes it. She shakes her head. “I don’t think I’ll ever be ready for this.” She sighs. She’s so worried about her baby girl’s safety. But at least this is only practice and she’s with Scott. She’ll be just fine. “Is Sadie not coming?” Tessa asks. She was supposed to practice with Sadie after Emma and Scott got finished. 

Scott sighs deeply. “No she’s here, she’s just…” He nods toward the opposite end of the rink where Sadie is sitting by herself with her arms crossed. “It’s just been a rough morning.” Scott says. “But she’s excited to see you, and she’s dying to get out there. She’ll come around, just needs a bit of space from me I think.” He says, his smile faltering as he says it. 

Tessa knows the feeling. Emma needs her space sometimes as well. It’s hard not being what your child wants or needs all the time. Tessa smiles weakly at Scott and nods. “Ok.” She says. 

“Hey.” Scott says, trying to reign in Tessa’s worry and get her to focus on something else. 

Tessa looks up at him. 

“You look good in black.” Scott says, referring to her outfit and letting his eyes rake over her. She’s in a formfitting black ballet shirt and black leggings and Scott has a weird urge to touch her, which of course he refrains from. “But you’re missing a little blue.” He adds, smirking and plucking the Leafs cap he has on his head off so he can settle in on Tessa’s head. 

Tessa rolls her eyes. 

Emma watches the adults from behind the cage affixed to her hockey helmet. It’s hard to see them at this angle and with so much metal in the way but she can tell they’re looking at each other funny and it makes her giggle. 

Tessa looks down at her daughter with a smile. “I don’t think Scott’s getting his hat back, do you, Em?” 

Emma giggles more and shakes her head. 

Scott grins. “S’okay.” He says. “Looks better on your mum than me anyway.” 

Tessa bites back a smile. 

“Alright then, Em, let’s get out there, eh?” Scott says, clapping his hands together.

Emma lets out a little whoop and scrambles out on the ice, nearly falling over immediately from her excitement. Tessa covers her face with her hands as Scott grabs Emma to keep her upright. “We’re all good.” He says, looking back at Tessa with a grin. “We got this.” 

It’s difficult watching Scott and Emma. Emma’s doing great out there - Tessa truly couldn’t be more proud, and that’s what makes it hard - her daughter is a natural and Tessa was ready to let her miss out on all the joy that the sport brings her just because she was too afraid something would happen. It’s hard to reconcile - the fact that she can’t just put Emma in a bubble and protect her from all the bad things out there. Tessa’s seen horrible things, been through horrible things, and she just doesn’t want to see them happen to her baby, but she realises that a big part of growing up is making mistakes, and often that involves a bit of bleeding here and there - physically as well as emotionally.

Tessa sighs and allows herself to focus on Scott for a moment. He’s so good with Emma. He stands right where she needs him to make sure she’s ok, he gets down on his knees to show her certain things and he looks her right in the eyes as he’s talking to her. Tessa’s sure he’s an amazing dad. And so she’s sure he must feel awful about whatever’s gone on with Sadie this morning. 

_Oh, Sadie._ Tessa thinks. The little girl is still on the other side of the stands. Tessa can’t make out her expression, but she’s definitely not smiling.  Tessa gets up and makes her way over to Sadie after storing the Leafs cap away and pulling her hair up into a bun. 

“Hey.” She says softly, and Sadie looks up at her. It’s clear she’s been crying and Tessa’s heart breaks. “Is this seat taken?” Tessa asks. 

Sadie shakes her head. 

Tessa sits down beside Sadie and notices Scott glance up at them. 

“I’m really excited to get out there with you.” She says to Sadie, who smiles weakly. “Me too.” She says. 

“You look very pretty in your dress. Did you pick it out?” Tessa asks. It’s a lovely blush pink colour and she has white stockings on underneath. Tessa smiles as she thinks back to when she used to dress like that for practice. 

Sadie nods. “I wanted my hair up like yours.” Sadie says, crossing her arms. “Daddy couldn’t do it.” 

“Oh.” Tessa says nodding. “It can be tricky.” 

Sadie lets out a little “Hrmph.” 

“I can help you put it up if you want.” Tessa says and Sadie looks over at her eagerly and nods. 

Tessa smiles warmly. “Turn that way for a minute, ok?” 

Sadie does as she’s told and Tessa strokes her hair with her fingers, raking out any last knots before pulling Sadie’s hair up into a high bun which she quickly secures with an extra hairband she had on her wrist. 

“There you go.” Tessa says, smiling. She looks up at the ice for a moment to see Scott watching them as Emma does some agility drill.  Tessa winks at him and he smiles back his thanks. 

Sadie looks at her reflection in the glass by the boards. “Oh, thank you!” She says, her face brightening. 

Tessa laughs. “Of course.” 

“Daddy isn’t good at lots of things like that.” Sadie says quietly so Scott won’t hear. 

Tessa nods. “Well, it’s got to be hard, right?” She says. “I mean … He has a lot of hair but I don’t think it’s quite enough to practice putting up into a bun.” 

Sadie giggles. She supposes that’s right. 

“But maybe I can show him a few tricks.” Tessa says and Sadie nods. “And pretty soon you’ll be able to do it on your own, too.” 

Sadie smiles. That would certainly be cool.

“I think Emma feels the same way about me sometimes.” Tessa says and Sadie looks up at her. 

“But you like doing hair and shopping and painting nails.” Sadie’s little finger points to Tessa’s nails which are painted a deep red. 

Tessa nods. “I like those things, and it sounds like you like those things, but Emma doesn’t.” 

“Oh.” Sadie says quietly, understanding. She remembers Emma complaining about her mum taking her to the mall. 

Tessa smiles somewhat sadly. “But we love each other and we try our best and that’s what matters at the end of the day.” 

Sadie nods. Tessa’s right. “Even though daddy can’t do my hair the right way I still love him.” She says. 

Tessa chuckles. “Of course you do.” 

Scott looks up at Tessa and Sadie and makes a funny face which sends Sadie into a fit of giggles and has Tessa biting her lip to stop her grin getting any bigger. 

“But sometimes mommies and daddies need a little help to get things right.” Tessa says. 

Sadie nods. “Like today.” 

Tessa laughs. “Yeah, definitely like today.” She watches Emma out on the ice practicing her puck handling and she can just tell her daughter is grinning from ear to ear under her helmet which makes her heart soar. 

But Sadie thinks about what Emma was saying the other night at dinner - that maybe their parents need a little help from them too. If their parents help them be happy, shouldn’t it work the other way too?

Emma and Scott are exhausted by the time they get off the ice. Tessa’s so excited for Emma that she immediately pulls her into a tight hug as soon as they’re off the ice and pulls her helmet off, kissing her cheek. “I’m so proud of you.” She says, holding Emma’s face in her hands before kissing her forehead. 

“Muuum.” Emma complains, though she’s still smiling widely. 

“Wow, Em. Not gonna lie, I’m pretty jealous of your fan base.” Scott says, watching Tessa and beaming at how happy she is. 

Then he looks up at Sadie who comes over and gives him a hug. “I’m sorry I got mad, daddy.” She says. Scott’s face softens completely and he hugs his daughter back tightly. “It’s ok, Sades.” He says. “I’m sorry I couldn’t get it right.” 

Sadie shakes her head. “Tessa says it’s hard ‘cause you don’t have enough hair to practice on.” 

Emma giggles and Tessa looks up at Scott who feigns offense and sets a hand on his hip. “Are you calling my hair _lackluster_?” He asks Tessa, and the girls both erupt in a fit of giggles at how silly he’s being. 

Tessa smirks and Sadie interrupts, “No, daddy, it’s just not long enough!” 

“Oooh.” Scott says, like he’s solved some great mystery. “Well do you think if I grow my hair as long as Tessa I’ll be as pretty as she is?” 

Emma’s eyes grow wide and she looks at Sadie before they both start to giggle. Tessa’s cheeks flush. 

“Daddy stop being silly!” Sadie says, pushing him gently, and the girls exchange a look. “Tessa said she could show you how to do my hair."

Scott meets Tessa’s eyes and her cheeks flush all over again. She’s never seen him up close after a practice before, and, though she’s sure he’s not as sweaty as he would normally be after an NHL practice, she very much enjoys the way his skin is glistening and how he’s combed his hair back with his fingers after he’d taken his helmet off. He just looks so… exerted and… _raw._

“Oh did she?” Scott asks, smirking at her. 

Tessa nods. “I can - I mean, if you want.” 

“That would be great.” Scott says, genuinely and Tessa smiles, hugs Emma one more time and tells her how proud she is again before pulling her lunch out of her bag and getting her settled on the bench. 

“Alright, Sades.” Tessa says, “You ready to go?” 

Scott lets out a deep breath. “Don’t worry.” Tessa says the same way he’d said earlier. “We got this.” 

Scott finds himself relaxing quickly as he sees the command Tessa has on the ice and the way she skates _with_ Sadie. He has to admit, she’s a better skater than he is. It doesn’t surprise him, he’s always known figure skating is far more technical, he just hasn’t really had the chance to watch until Tessa. 

“Your mum’s amazing.” Scott says to Emma as he stuff his face with the sandwich he brought. 

Emma looks over at him and shrugs, which makes Scott laugh. 

“Hockey’s cooler.” Emma clarifies and Scott nods. 

“It’s pretty cool.” Scott confirms, half distracted by what’s going on on the ice. “But that… He watches Tessa do a turn and it comes so effortlessly and naturally that he can’t quite believe she’s real. “That’s justbeautiful.” He says. 

Emma shrugs again and crunches on the carrots her mother’s packed her. “Do we get to practice again?” Emma asks, and Scott tears his eyes away from the ice for a moment. “Yeah!” He says enthusiastically. It had been really nice to coach someone Sadie’s age. He thinks Emma is a lot of fun and he gets a kick out of how feisty she is. “I mean… if it’s alright with your mum. We should check with her first.” 

Emma nods. “It’ll be ok with her.” She says surely. She knows after that way Tessa had been so relieved and relaxed. “She trusts you.” Emma adds, and Scott’s expression softens. “You think?” 

Emma nods. “She would never let me go out there if she didn’t.” 

Scott has to laugh at how mature and perceptive Emma can be and he ruffles her hair - which, he notices, Emma wears down and messy all the time as opposed to her mother. He finds it funny that their children are so unlike themselves, but at the same time Scott wouldn’t change a thing and he’s pretty sure Tessa feels the same way. 

He turns back to the ice and catches Sadie completing a turn and can see how truly excited Tessa is about it and it makes his heart swell. 

“Yeah, Sades!” He shouts from the stands. The girls on the ice turn to him and Tessa gives him a thumbs up which he returns. 

After practice, everyone goes back to Tessa and Emma’s house for Pizza. 

Tessa’s decided this counts as her fulfilling her promise of “cooking” and Scott teases her a bit but only gently. It makes Tessa feel warm inside. She’s missed having another adult to joke around with. 

The girls are upstairs in Emma’s room when Tessa pours Scott a glass of wine. 

“Thanks for everything today.” She says as she hands it over to him. 

Scott smiles. “Yeah, you too.” He says. “Sadie’s never going to shut up about it.” He laughs. Tessa laughs too, knowing the same will be true for Emma. 

“It’s a lot of fun for me, too.” Scott adds. “I always wanted to get into coaching but when Sades wasn’t interested I sort of… I don’t know I guess I just got discouraged but Emma’s… I mean, Emma’s really talented, Tess, and I’m not just saying that. She’s picking everything up incredibly quickly and it’s only her first practice. 

Tessa nods. She feels the same way about Sadie and she expresses that to Scott. “I never really considered coaching, I used to just take Emma out on the ice with me, especially when she was little, that was nice because all she cared about was being with me, you know? She wasn’t so disgusted with figure skating.” Tessa laughs self-depreciatively, “She was just happy to be out there with me.” 

Scott smiles supportively at Tessa and rests a hand on her wrist. She’s cold and he strokes his thumb across her skin in an effort to warm her somewhat. He doesn’t realise it might be too much until he’s well into the act, but when he looks up at Tessa she’s relaxed so he just continues. 

“She’s not _disgusted_ by figure skating.” Scott says. “She just likes hockey. Same with Sadie. It took me until today I think to see that.” He laughs. 

Tessa nods. “I know.” She sighs. “I just miss those days when she just wanted to be with me.” 

“I hear ya.” Scott says. “That’s growing up I guess, eh?” 

Tessa nods and her smile wavers. It always makes her feel melancholic when she thinks about Emma growing up. She’s all Tessa has here and it hurts to think she’ll leave her one day even though all Tessa wants is for her little girl to fly and be happy doing whatever she wants, wherever she wants. It’s hard being a parent.

“So, what’s the story behind this?” Scott asks, deciding to change the subject before things get too heavy and existential. He doesn’t like talking about Sadie growing up either. He fingers the golden bracelet on Tessa’s wrist which he’s done a good job warming at this point. 

“Oh.” Tessa says. “It was a gift.” She wants to leave it at that, but she knows Scott wants her to elaborate so she adds, “from Emma’s dad. He gave it to me the day after I told him I was pregnant.” She laughs, fighting the twisting feeling in her stomach. “I thought he’d be upset, you know?” She looks up at Scott who’s listening intently, his gentle eyes completely focused on her. “I just thought - we were so young - we were only twenty, just kids still and I just thought he’d feel like I was trying to ruin everything - he skated as well and I thought maybe he’d break up with me or yell or - I don’t even know. I don’t know what I was thinking.” She smiles at her younger self and Scott caresses her wrist because Tessa’s not moved it so he feels like maybe she’s enjoying it and he wants her to know he’s here for her. This is hard to talk about. 

Scott nods and Tessa continues. 

“But he was so happy.” She says, smiling up at Scott and he can tell how much this man meant to her. “He was _excited.”_ She chuckles. “He wanted to get married but I told him we were too young.” She shakes her head. “And he said we’re probably too young to have a kid too.” 

Scott chuckles and nods. He remembers feeling that way too. 

“But I guess I’m stubborn.” She says, wiping a tear from her cheek with the hand Scott’s not busy caressing. “‘cause we never did get married. He said he was getting me this” She gestures toward the bracelet, “in place of a ring until I decided I was ready.”

Scott nods. He can definitely see why it has such sentimental value. 

“And when Emma got older,” Tessa says, looking up at him with glimmering green eyes so pretty Scott feels like he could get lost in them for days, “It just got so hard to tell her about her dad. I feel so guilty that she never got to meet him and there are so many things that I’m just no good at that maybe her dad would have been, you know? I just feel like she’s missing out and I can never bring myself to talk about him with her because I don’t want to cry in front of her. So I gave her the bracelet to wear because I liked the thought that maybe they were together somehow even though they never got to meet.” Tessa looks down guiltily. “I was going to tell her about it - and I was going to tell her more about him too, I just … haven’t been able to just yet. But I am going to. And I think she wants to know, but she's so... she's just so... She knows it hurts me to talk about and so I think she doesn't ask.” Tessa looks down shamefully. 

Scott nods. “That must be incredibly hard.” He says. “I’m really sorry, Tessa and don’t feel like you need to explain anything to me. You matter too. You should tell her when you feel ready.” 

Tessa nods. “Thank you.” She says softly. 

“I can’t imagine how you went through all that - like - having a kid, all on your own. That’s really brave.” 

Tessa shakes her head. “I had my mum and sister. I was living at home then and they were really good to me after Emma’s father passed. I couldn’t have done it without them and I’m forever grateful for how they helped me but it’s just not the same, you know? Like sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night and I just can’t go back to sleep because I keep thinking about something… I wasn’t going to wake my mum and sister for that but it would’ve been nice to have someone there to talk to.” 

Scott smiles. He knows what she means. “You can text me if you can’t fall asleep.” He says, and Tessa smiles playfully thinking he’s joking, but his face is serious and her smile quickly fades. 

“If you need to talk to someone or even if you just want to. You have my number.” He says. 

Tessa smiles again, shyly this time as she realises he means it. “Thank you, Scott. That’s really nice of you.” 

Scott shrugs. “That’s what friends are for, right?” 

Tessa beams and nods. “So you know my story now. What’s yours?” She looks up at him curiously. 

“Ah, well... mine’s nothing special. We were high school sweethearts that weren’t so careful and then...” he shrugs. “Things just didn’t work out, you know? People change.”

Tessa nods. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

“Yeah.” Scott says. “I’ve made my peace with it and that’s fine, we weren’t meant for each other. But it’s really hard on Sadie, not having her mum around.”

“She doesn’t see her?” Tessa asks. 

Scott shakes his head. “She has some trouble with alcohol... and she’s so hot and cold with Sadie - one day she’ll want to just swoop in and take her and the next she wants nothing to do with her. It’s just too much for Sadie to handle so we don’t see much of each other.”

Tessa looks genuinely sad. “Scott, I’m so sorry.” She says. It’s one thing to miss someone who’s dead and another thing entirely to miss someone who’s alive. 

Scott looks at Tessa for a moment. “She really doesn’t take to people every easily because of it. That’s why I’m so impressed with how comfortable she seems around you.”

Tessa’s expression softens. “If I can do anything for her, Scott, and I mean anything, let me know. She’s a wonderful little girl and Emma adores her.”

Scott smiles. “Thank you. And likewise for Emma. Or for you.”

Tessa flushes. “For you too.” She says. 

“Oh, well then…” Scott says, “Does the offer still stand for teaching me how to do hair?” 

Tessa laughs and nods.

The two of them make their way into Tessa’s room and into the master bath. The girls have been mighty quiet in Emma’s room and Tessa wonders what they’re up to.

* * *

"And did you see the way they looked at each other?" Sadie giggles as she thinks back to it and Emma laughs out loud, "my mum's face was _so_ red." 

They collapse into a fit of giggles. 

"I think this is going to be fun." Sadie says of their newly devised plan. Emma nods. She's excited to put it into action. 

* * *

As they walk through the condo, Scott takes stock of everything around him. The whole place is incredibly neat, which doesn’t even surprise him at all. There’s a lot of clean white furniture and marble counters and very hip, dark vinyl floors. 

Tessa’s room smells like her which Scott finds comforting. Her bed is made and there are pictures of she and Emma on her nightstand. Even her bathroom looks like it’s been meticulously clean. Tessa stands in front of the large vanity mirror over the bathroom sink and looks Scott in the eyes. “So first thing, you have to brush all the knots out of the hair.” Tessa says, and Scott watches her as she brushes her hair out with her fingers. 

“Then, you want to gather it in a low ponytail and slowly work your way up so none of the hair is left over. And then you just twist in a circle and tie it just like you would a pony tail except maybe a little tighter to make sure it stays. See?” She says turning and looking at Scott. He looks a little lost and it’s cute so Tessa ends up laughing. “Do you want to try it?” She asks, leaning forward and pulling out her hair. 

“On - on you?” Scott asks. He hadn’t expected that.

Tessa nods. “I don’t think your hair’s long enough, remember?” She giggles. 

Scott smiles. “Alright, get over here, Virtch.” He says, and Tessa’s eyebrows shoot up. 

“You like that one?” Scott asks. “Just made it up.” 

Tessa laughs and nods. “You’re very good at nicknames.” She says softly, stepping forward and offering Scott her hair to work with. 

Scott smiles back. She’s cute. “Glad you think so.” He says and reaches out. He combs through Tessa’s locks with his fingers and he’s far gentler than Tessa expected. She closes her eyes and enjoys the feeling. She can’t remember the last time someone did this for her. It’s nice to be on the receiving end for a change. 

“Is that ok?” Scott asks. 

Tessa hums her approval and Scott chews his lip. He’s not sure why he’s feeling so nervous. Well - that’s not exactly true. He’s feeling nervous because there’s a beautiful woman in front of him letting him comb through her soft hair and she smells nice and Sadie likes her and _jesus,_ she looks like she’s really enjoying it and… he just doesn’t want to fuck it up. 

Tessa’s so enjoying it, in fact, that she doesn’t bother telling him that there aren’t any more tangles to rake out of her hair, he’s just sort of trailing his fingers along her scalp and then down her locks and she could honestly just stay like this forever. She’s feeling incredibly relaxed and she leans her head back further so that it touches Scott’s chest. He’s warm and he smells like a _man_ and it’s been a long _long_ time since Tessa’s felt like this. 

Scott’s sure she can tell he’s just doing this now because he genuinely enjoys it. He hopes she can’t feel his heart pounding in his chest but she has her head leaning back against him, so she very likely can. He looks down at her face, admiring how peaceful she looks. Her eyelashes look so pretty from this angle and she has freckles on her nose. He’s even gentler with her hair now, resting his hand flat on her forehead and slowly stroking it back through her hair. 

Tessa lets out a sigh and Scott shuts his eyes and tries not to get too caught up in it but it’s quite obvious that neither of them wants this to stop and, in fact, they’ve both forgotten the original purpose of this little exercise. 

Scott lowers his head a bit, presses his nose to the smooth skin behind her ear and Tessa very nearly moans on reflex, but reigns herself in at the last second.

“I really like your hair.” Scott says lowly into her ear, and Tessa shudders slightly at the gravelly tone of his voice. 

“Mum?” Emma’s voice comes from outside the bathroom door and both Scott and Tessa straighten up and pull apart immediately. 

“In here.” Tessa calls, and Emma and Sadie appear in the doorway. “We were wondering if we could have some popcorn…” Emma says, trailing off, and cocking her head as she sees the strange looks on Scott and her mother’s faces. “What are you guys doing in the bathroom?” She asks. 

Tessa laughs nervously. 

“Your mum was showing me how to do ballerina hair so I could help Sadie next time.” Scott says, and Tessa looks over at him appreciatively. She’s still having trouble forming coherent thoughts. 

Sadie’s face brightens. “Eh, don’t get too excited yet, Sades.” Scott says. “I think I’m going to need some more practice.”

Tessa glances over at him and he winks at her. Tessa’s face immediately flushes.

* * *

They don’t practice again that night, but Tessa promises they can try again next time. 

_“I just got distracted.”_ Tessa says and Scott bites back a laugh. She’s adorable. “Yeah.” He says as Sadie scampers through the door past him and toward the car, thanking Tessa and saying goodbye to Emma. He lets his eyes wander momentarily down to her neckline where he can she her skin sporting more freckles and her delicate collarbones. “Me too.” He says gruffly. And he thinks perhaps that it’s the understatement of his life. 


	6. Beach Day

“Mum, we’re going to be late, let’s go!” Emma shouts from the kitchen. She’s been ready for the past thirty minutes while Tessa’s changed her swimsuit back and forth what feels like hundreds of times. She likes her body, she really does, it’s just that she has stretch marks from when she was pregnant and they make her self conscious. But it’s ninety degrees out and she wants to set a good example for Emma that she should be comfortable with her body. 

Tessa sighs and settles on a plain black bikini. At least this way it’s not like she’s being flashy. She pulls a white coverup over her head and slings her bag over her shoulder as she heads into the kitchen. “Honey, it’s a beach, it’s not going anywhere.” Tessa tells her daughter. 

Emma had insisted they go the the beach this weekend, and Tessa wasn’t about to argue - she liked the beach, liked relaxing and laying in the sun, and was happy that Emma wanted to spend some time with her. 

Tessa had taken Emma here with her mother when Emma was younger. They used to rent a cottage in the summers and just head up to the beach all day. Tessa smiles as she thinks back on little Emma splashing in the water. 

Tessa instinctually heads toward the part of the beach they’d gone to all those years ago, but Emma insists otherwise.

“I want to see the big lighthouse.” She says, and Tessa acquiesces. There will be time to go back to their old part of the beach another time. 

Tessa reaches for Emma’s hand in the parking lot and Emma looks up at her. Sometimes her mother forgets that she doesn’t need to hold her hand in parking lots anymore, but Emma doesn’t say anything. Sometimes it seems like her mum needs a hand to hold. 

“Wow, look at that lighthouse.” Tessa says as the two of them tramp down the beach in the thick sand, looking for a spot to settle in. 

Emma smiles. Her mum doesn’t know but the lighthouse is their landmark. This is where Sadie and her daddy always sit when they come to the beach. This is part of the plan. Emma knows her mummy loves the beach, and Sadie said her daddy does too, plus one time Emma heard her auntie Jojo say, “If I get married it’ll be on a beach. It’s so romantic.” And her mum agreed. Emma’s not so sure what makes a beach romantic, but she doesn’t always understand her mother’s logic so she’s willing to try and see what happens. It looks like Sadie and her daddy aren’t here just yet, so Emma keeps her mouth shut. She thinks it will be a funny surprise when the adults see each other. 

But it’s over an hour later and there’s no sign of Sadie or her daddy. Emma huffs as she eats some of the watermelon cubes her mother’s packed them. Tessa’s laying beside her on a towel on her belly, her cheek squished against the top of her hand. She’s long since discarded her coverup, her desire to feel the warmth of the sun on her skin overriding any self-consciousness she’d felt. She dozes quietly and Emma can tell she’s really tired. She feels bad for her mummy sometimes. She works so hard.

Emma gets up to collect some seashells for a sandcastle, making sure not to wander too far away from Tessa when she sees Sadie and Scott finally. 

She jumps in excitement as Sadie sees her and waves vehemently, rushing toward her friend. The girls embrace like they’ve not seen one another in ages when in reality it’s only been a day. Scott cocks his head at the coincidence. “Hey Em!” He says happily, as he approaches. “What’s up?” 

The girls giggle. 

“Did you two plan this?” He asks. 

And the look they give him is guilty as sin but he can’t help breaking into a huge smile that they’ve schemed this up. He’s pretty impressed, truth be told. 

“Are you here with your mum?” Scott asks, wondering why Emma’s on her own. 

Emma nods. “She’s sleeping.” 

Emma’s very excited that her plan’s working but she doesn’t want to wake her mummy up. She seems very tired. 

“Oh.” Scott nods, breaking into a smile. “Well, maybe we can sit by you two and we’ll surprise her when she wakes up, how’s that?” 

Emma giggles and nods. Even Scott’s in on the plan now. 

Scott and Sadie make their way over to where Emma and Tessa have their beach umbrella staked.

Sadie covers her mouth to quiet her giggles as she sees Tessa. She looks _dead_. 

Scott tries his best to hide his smile as he sees her cheek smooshed against her hand. She looks _adorable._ And then he lets himself glimpse at the rest of her body and he decides she’s wrong. She looks _hot._ In the attractive sense of the word, though the day is quite hot as well. 

He can’t help but admire the way her freckles look flecked all across her back, how her black bikini contrasts so nicely with her porcelain skin, and the way her hair falls over her shoulders. And her body is amazing… he tries is best not to let his mind go there with their kids standing literally right there but it’s impossible when she’s laying there half naked like that.

“Daddy, we’re going to go play in the water.” Sadie whispers so as not to disturb Tessa. Scott nods. “Stay where I can see you.” He whispers back. 

Sadie takes Emma’s hand and they run into the lake. 

Scott watches the girls while occasionally stealing glances at Tessa. It feels wrong to be doing - looking at her when she’s sleeping, but he doesn’t know if he’ll ever get to see her like this again and he just can’t help it. 

In the water, Sadie and Emma laugh to themselves at how well the first part of their plan worked. 

“Do you think it’s romantic?” Emma asks, throwing herself back in the water with a splash. 

Sadie looks over at their parents. “I don’t know.” She admits. “But my daddy keeps looking at your mummy.” 

Emma watches for a moment and giggles. “Oh yeah.” She observes.

Tessa stirs gently beside Scott, and his whole body goes rigid in an effort not to wake her. She looks peaceful as anything laying there and he understands that feeling of total exhaustion. Sometimes you really do just need a nap. 

She makes a sweet little whimpering sound and Scott feels his whole body soften. 

“Em?” Tessa says hoarsely. “Emma?” She opens her eyes to the spot where Emma was sitting when she’d decided to _rest her eyes_ only to see her daughter is no longer there. She feels her heart stop, but then there’s a warm hand on her shoulder. “She’s ok.” 

It’s a man’s voice. Tessa squints her eyes. They’re still adjusting to the light. “Scott?” She asks.

“Yeah.” Is his response. “Just me. Emma’s with Sadie in the water just there. They’re fine.” 

Tessa lets out a deep breath and pushes herself up off her stomach, turning her body toward Scott’s. She can see the girls now and it puts her at ease. 

Scott lets his eyes wander down Tessa’s front briefly. He likes the way her bikini looks on her, hugging her in all the right places. 

Tessa allows her eyes to focus on Scott for a moment. She hadn’t expected to wake up to… _this_. He’s shirtless, his abs well defined and his skin tanned. His navy blue swim trunks hit him just above the knee and his hair looks wonderfully beachy. 

Neither of them says anything for a moment, and in the water the girls are watching stealthily. 

“They look like in the movies!” Sadie says, excitedly. 

Emma nods. “Do you think they’re going to kiss? They keep looking at each other like they are.” 

But Tessa clears her throat and shakes her head, remembering how, well… _exposed_ she is. She finds her coverup and quickly sheaths herself in it. 

“I don’t normally do that.” Tessa says, unable to look Scott in the eyes as she says it. She feels completely irresponsible falling asleep while she was supposed to be watching Emma. What if something had happened? 

Scott shakes his head. “You don’t have to-“ 

“I don’t - I don’t normally - I didn’t realise I was so - I mean I’m fine but I don’t normally…” Tessa feels so embarrassed she’d like to bury her head in the sand. 

“Hey.” Scott says softly, but Tessa just continues. 

“I’m sorry.” She says. “I just wasn’t thinking. I just…” She shakes her head and Scott reaches out and wraps a hand around her upper arm. Tessa quiets. 

“I know.” Scott says. “Tess, I get just as exhausted.” He says, caressing her arm with his thumb. “I’m sorry if I was staring.” He says. “I wasn’t judging anything I was just… well… admiring, I guess.” 

Tessa blushes but recovers quickly. “Are you stalking me?” She asks jokingly. 

Scott huffs a laugh. “It seems that way, eh?” He shakes his head. “As much as I enjoy admiring you, no, I did not know you would be here today. I think our two little opportunists are to thank for that one.” 

The adults look over at the girls who quickly duck under the water. 

Tessa laughs. “Oh boy.” She says. “They should’ve just asked. Did they think we’d have said no?” 

Scott shrugs. “One can only imagine what goes on in those two brilliant little minds.” 

In reality, Emma and Sadie had carefully considered why _not_ to ask their parents if they could go to the beach together. Their reasons were as follows: 

  1. Emma’s mum would go out of her way to offer to take Sadie and Emma herself so Scott could have the afternoon off. 
  2. Scott would counter-offer to do the same and the girls didn’t want them arguing about it
  3. Emma knew her mum wouldn’t wear the swimsuit that aunt Jojo said ‘ _all the guys must love’_ If she knew Scott was coming because she only wears it when they don’t know anyone around. 
  4. The element of surprise always brings out the unexpected which has never not been entertaining.



So they were quite happy with their decision not to inform their parents of their planned meet-up. 

The adults watch the girls splash around in the water for some time before Scott turns to Tessa. “I don’t judge anything you do, you know that, right? I think you’re an incredible mum.” 

Tessa turns to him, searching his eyes to make sure he’s being truthful. It’s been hard being a single mum. But Tessa doesn’t detect a hint of judgement in Scott, and again, he puts her at ease. 

“Thank you.” She says. “I think you’re a really incredible dad, too.” 

Scott brushes off the compliment but truthfully he feels like it’s something he needs to hear. He doubts himself so much, especially being a hockey player, people just assume he’s going out to all sorts of crazy parties and getting involved with strange women when all he really wants is a day at the beach with his daughter. 

“It’s a million degrees out.” Scott says, standing up and brushing the sand off his trunks. “Wanna go for a dip?” He smiles innocently at her and offers her his hand. “I promise not to admire you anymore.” 

Tessa’s face relaxes and she pulls her coverup off. “You can admire.” She says, standing of her own accord and slinking past him with a bit more sway to her hips than usual. Scott turns and watches her make her way into the water, his throat suddenly dry. Her back is flecked with freckles and her posture is impeccable and she has those two little dimples just above her waistline on her back… _Jesus._ He says to himself, smoothing his hair back. _Admiring her is certainly an easy task_ , Scott thinks. 

The boldness is unlike Tessa and she thinks to herself that she should perhaps be embarrassed, but when she turns to see the absolutely enthralled expression on Scott’s face she knows she’s done something right. 

“Mum! Play catch with us!” Emma shouts, chucking a tennis ball toward Tessa. Tessa catches it easily and turns to see Scott splashing his way over. “Me next!” He says, holding his arms out.

The girls laugh at his silliness.

The four of them become involved in a rather competitive game of catch where apparently the objective is to intercept the other team’s throw. It’s adults versus kids since the height difference would make things unfair. Sadie and Tessa versus Scott and Emma. 

“Get it Em!” Scott bellows as he dodges Tessa and throws the ball toward Emma who has to dive in front of Sadie to catch it. 

Scott whoops and jumps up and down. “In your face!” He laughs at Tessa who just gives him a look. Sadie intercepts Scott’s next throw and when she throws is back the ball goes sailing through the air. Tessa lines herself up underneath it and jumps up to catch it, but before she can get her hands on it she feels a pair of warm hands wrapped around her waist pulling her down and under the water.

When they emerge, Tessa holds the ball up in her hand, and Scott traces a hand up her side as he uses her to help himself stand back up. It’s innocent at first but he chooses to let his hand linger there, his fingers curling slightly on her hip bone. It makes Tessa shudder as Sadie cheers. The girls are unaware of the way Scott’s touching her and Tessa throws the ball back to Sadie before letting her hand fall beneath the water and her nails trace along Scott’s forearm.

Neither of them says a word, but Scott can hear the way Tessa’s breath has changed and likes the way she’s leaning back now, almost pressed against him. But suddenly the girls are shouting again and Tessa’s diving out of his grasp in pursuit of the ball. Scott has to pull himself back into reality before chasing after her. 

He’s slightly worried he’s taken it too far but Tessa pops up from the water again, sopping wet, shimmering in the sunlight and beaming at him. “Trying to distract me?” She asks. 

Scott laughs. “Could ask the same of you.” He says hoarsely as he watches the water bead on her bare skin. 

The girls don’t catch the way their parents are looking at one another - they’re too involved in their game and satisfied with the way their plan had worked out so far that they’re just basking in the moment. 

But later that day, after Scott’s gotten the girl’s ice cream, they see something… interesting. 

Sadie and Emma are still playing in the water and Tessa’s laying on a towel under the umbrella when Scott comes back with two ice cream cones - vanilla for Emma and strawberry for Sadie. He holds them up to show the girls, but they’re involved in a serious game of mermaids that even ice cream can’t tempt them away from. 

So Scott shrugs and plops down under the umbrella. “Hey sleeping beauty.” He says to Tessa, who turns her head to him. “I’m not asleep, thank you very much.” She says, still slightly embarrassed about earlier. 

“Alright.” He says. “Just beauty then.” 

Tessa scoffs. “What do you want?” She says playfully. _He’s rather charming for a hockey player._ She thinks to herself. 

“Ouch. So much hostility. Still mad Em and I beat you?” 

“You’re taller than me, it wasn’t fair.” Tessa mumbles. The heat makes her sleepy, she can’t help it.

“Yeah well, I gotta be better than you at at least one thing, right?” 

He can see Tessa smiling, her eyes closed as she relaxes. 

“Here’s your consolation prize.” He holds out Emma’s ice cream to her and Tessa peeks an eye open. It was nice of him to get the girl’s ice cream so she sits up and takes it from him so he won’t have to hold both cones. 

“I don’t think they’re going to be coming for these any time soon.” Scott says. “Don’t think they’ll be too broken up if we have some before they do.” 

Tessa shakes her head. “I don’t like vanilla.” 

Scott raises his eyebrows. “You want strawberry? I’m sure Sadie won’t mind.” 

“No, it’s alright.” Tessa says. “I’ll have some it’s just not my favourite.” 

“What’s your favourite?” Scott asks, watching the way her fingers move along the waffle of the cone so delicately. 

“Chocolate.” She says. 

Scott nods. “I can go get you one.” He suggests, already getting up, but Tessa reaches out and pulls him back down, giggling. “This is fine, thank you.” She says. 

She watches Scott for a moment, his tongue darting out to lick a long line up the ice cream, the way he hums satisfactorily and the way his lips move when he tries to lick it from an angle. She’s distracted by him for sure now, and she doesn’t realise it until suddenly he’s nearly finished his cone and is smiling at her. “You better get working on that.” He says softly, and Tessa looks up at his eyes which are crinkled from the huge smile he’s sporting. Her brain needs to play catch up, but she soon realises the ice cream she’s holding has started to melt quite a bit and has begun to drip down her wrist. 

“Oh shoot.” She says, and Scott thinks it’s the most adorable curse he’s ever heard, but then Tessa tilts her head and licks up her wrist to get the melted ice cream and Scott hadn’t been prepared for the image nor the ideas it sparks up in his mind. 

But Tessa’s playing damage control now, her ice cream melting significantly faster than Scott’s since she’s not been eating it.

“Oh, gosh.” Tessa sighs, holding it out over the sand. 

Scott laughs. “Here.” He says, holding her wrist and leaning in to suck some of the ice cream from the bottom of the cone. 

Tessa feels something deep in her stomach at the sight of it and his proximity to her. He’s so close she can practically feel the heat radiating off of him. 

He looks up at her and smiles. “I got you.” He says softly and continues licking the melting scoop. 

Sadie grabs Emma by the shoulders and turns her to look at their parents. Emma gapes. “It’s like in Lady and the Tramp but with ice cream.” She says. They hadn’t planned for this but it seems to be working out in their favour. 

Sadie giggles and nods. “But my daddy’s not a tramp.” Emma shakes her head. “No.” She agrees. 

Scott’s fighting a losing battle with the ice cream and Tessa feels badly for him. That’s what she tells herself anyway when she leans in and starts to lick the other side of the scoop. _He needs help._

Their eyes meet briefly and Scott’s are darker than Tessa remembers.

Scott watches her - they’re so close now, and he swears if he could just lean a little to his right… her lips are right _there_ and they look so pretty and she’d taste so good and… he shakes himself out of it.

He focuses on the task at hand and tries his best to be quick so none of the ice cream drips onto Tessa’s wrist. She can tell he’s trying his hardest which is sweet and she smiles amusedly, lost in the way he moves. 

Scott looks up at her, takes a long, slow lick all the way up the scoop and hums deeply. “Something funny?” He asks her. 

Tessa, whose face had immediately become serious again at the visual he’d just given her, shakes her head. His chest is glimmering in the sunlight and Tessa just has the urge to _touch_ him. 

He seizes her wrist suddenly albeit still gently as before and she draws in a sharp breath at the contact. He glances up at her again. “You’re sticky.” He says.

“Oh.” Tessa says, pouting slightly as some of the ice cream drips back onto her wrist. 

Scott doesn’t think except to acknowledge that Tessa’s unhappy about something and he wants to fix it. He handles her wrist carefully, elevating it slightly and bringing it to his lips to suck the ice cream away. It’s innocent enough, he thinks, but the feeling it gives him deep in his chest is anything but. 

Tessa’s so shaken that she actually closes her eyes and lets out a soft sigh when she feels his tongue brush across her and the light suction he gives her with his lips. It feels so nice. 

Scott wants to hear her make that sound again. He wants to see what other sounds he can draw from her. 

“Did he…” Emma trails off and looks over at Sadie who’s just as baffled.

“I don’t know…” She says. 

“They kind of _are_ like dogs.” Emma says, referring to the earlier Lady and the Tramp reference.

Sadie nods, enthralled at the strange behaviour going on between their parents. 

“Scott.” Tessa says softly, her voice not quite as sturdy as she’d wish. She feels like she’s melting quicker than the ice cream and she can’t get a handle on herself with him doing… _this._

Scott pauses and realises as he gets his grip back on reality that he can’t even look at her. He takes a deep breath, exhaling slowly, the warmth of it hitting her wrist and giving her goosebumps. 

Finally, he brings himself to glance up. “I’m sorry.” He says. He’d gotten carried away. God, he’s embarrassed. 

“No, it’s -“ Tessa begins but Scott pulls away. Tessa hadn’t been upset. She’d been embarrassed if anything of how much he was doing to her. Of how much she _liked_ what he was doing to her. Of how little it took for her to feel completely caught up in him. 

“No, I’m really sorry.” He says. “That was my fault. I’m sorry.” 

Tessa shakes her head. 

“Uh oh.” Emma says, turning to Sadie. “We should go.” 

Sadie nods and they make their way out of the water back to their parents. They’re not sure what happened. 

By the time they make it to shore, Emma and Sadie can hear their parents apologising to one another. It confuses her slightly, but she knows her mum often gets this way around men who have gotten close to her. Emma’s not completely sure why, but she thinks that perhaps it isn’t a totally bad sign - she must care about what Scott thinks at least. 

“Mum?” Emma says, and both Scott and Tessa’s heads snap up. 

“Hi, honey. I um… your ice cream was melting so… but we can get another one on the way home.” She says, setting the remainder of the cone in the sand beside her. Tessa doesn’t care about it any longer. _Let the seagulls have it,_ she feels like she’s going to burst into flames at how embarrassed she is. _Had Emma and Sadie seen them? God, she hadn’t even been thinking about the possibility of the kids watching. How could she let herself get so carried away?_

Meanwhile, Scott’s just praying he didn’t completely fuck things up between them. He genuinely likes her as a person and hopes they can keep getting to know one another. Things had just gotten so heated so quickly he hadn’t even realised what he was doing. 

“We should probably get going.” Tessa says, turning to Scott and Emma’s shoulders slump. 

“Aw, mum do we have to?” She asks. 

Tessa stands up and nods. “Yeah we have a long ride back and a busy day tomorrow. She picks up her towel and shakes it out. 

Scott stands to help her with the umbrella and she glances at him appreciatively. 

“I’ll help you carry it.” He says and looks to Sadie, “We’re going to head out too, Sades, get your things together, ok?”

Sadie nods and she and Emma exchange slightly worried looks. 

Their plan had been going so well until now. 

Scott’s shirtless as he carries the umbrella back to Tessa’s car and she really wishes he would put a shirt on so she wouldn’t be subjected to watching the way his back muscles flex with his every movement or the way the sun’s hitting his salt-sticky skin. She wonders briefly what his skin tastes like and thinks for a moment it’s unfair that he got to taste her when she didn’t get to taste him in return. Then she gets flustered at herself but Sadie snaps her out of it. 

“Skating tomorrow?” She’s asking. 

Tessa smiles brightly and nods. “Of course.” She confirms, hoping the kids aren’t picking up on the strange vibes that have come about but knowing they likely are. 

“Promise?” Sadie asks nervously and both Scott and Tessa stop in their tracks. 

Scott opens his mouth to reassure her that everything’s ok, but before he can, Tessa’s kneeing before Sadie and taking her sweet face in her hands. 

“I’m not going anywhere.” She says. “I promise.”

And Scott wonders how Tessa knew that was exactly what Sadie needed to hear.

Since her mum left, Sadie’s always nervous that people are going to just drop out of her life, especially women. 

The adults load the kids and their gear into their respective cars which are parked quite close.

“Hey, Tess?” Scott asks as he closes the trunk of her car after settling the umbrella inside, Emma already strapped in in the back seat. 

Tessa closes the back door where Emma is and turns to him. 

“I’m sorry.” Scott says, taking a step closer to her. 

Tessa shakes her head. “Don’t be.”

“No, I am.” He says. “I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

“Scott.” She says as serious as he’s heard her and he meets her eyes. “I liked it.” She says softly. 

And Scott feels a prickling heat in his abdomen. 

He takes a step closer, his fingers itching to touch her, to hold her hips or stroke her skin or _anything_. Anything, just to be touching her. 

“It’s just...” Tessa glances toward Scott’s car where Sadie’s sat in the backseat playing a game on Scott’s phone. 

“The kids.” Scott nods. He understands. 

Tessa nods back. “I just worry about Emma. What she’ll think. I mean - I haven’t ever been with anyone since her dad. 

“Yeah.” Scott says softly, his eyes dropping to the ground for a moment before he looks back up at her. “But you liked it.” He says, raising his eyebrow and smirking. He looks so very proud of himself and it’s enough to make Tessa laugh out loud, which only serves to satisfy Scott further. “Did you like me um… _practicing_ on your hair too?” He asks. 

Tessa blushes at the memory of it. The way she’d been caught up in the feeling of his fingers stroking through her locks. “Yes.” She says softly and the looks up at him sorrowfully. “I just worry about the girls.” She repeats. 

Scott’s self satisfied grin disappears. “We could stop.” He says. “I could stop.”

Tessa looks up at him, hoping he can’t see the desperation in her eyes. She hasn’t felt like this in so long. She hadn’t known she could feel this way again.

Scott sees it in her face and it relieves him honestly because he feels the same way. He’s just so drawn to this woman. “Or we could be more careful.” Scott says gently, dropping his head slightly so his forehead is closer to hers. 

She nods and smiles up at him, her green eyes glowing. “More careful.” She says. 

Scott bites his lip. He has no idea what that means but he’s certainly invested in finding out. 

“Then I’ll see you and Em at practice tomorrow.” 

Tessa smiles. “Ok.” She says in a whisper. 

Emma’s watching from the car window, her nose all but smooshed against the glass. 

Scott reaches out carefully for Tessa’s hand and she allows him to take it. He holds it gently, his thumb stroking across the back of her hand. “So we’re…” 

“Friends.” Tessa says, nodding as if that was what Scott was going to suggest. 

“Friends.” He says, and lets his thumb roll across the soft skin of her hand. 

Tessa looks up at him and he steps closer. 

“I like being friends with you.” He says lowly, and Tessa’s lips part slightly as she feels his breath. Scott smiles and steps back giving her a quick wink before turning and heading back to his car. 

Tessa gets in her car and before they’re even out of the lot Emma’s asking, “Mum, do you like Scott?” 

Tessa sighs. “We’re friends, honey.” She says, looking back at Emma in the rearview. “Just friends, ok? I promise.” 

Emma looks at her mother skeptically and decides not to say anything else. She’s quite good at reading when her mother’s on edge. 

She’s not totally disappointed at the way the day went. Phase one of the plan worked somewhat. She’ll call it a victory for now but there’s still lots of work to be done, apparently. 


	7. Very Good Friends

When Tessa enters Scott’s house one weekday evening, he’s trying his best to carry a plate of chicken to the table while kicking a football out of the way.

“Knock knock.” Tessa says as she enters the kitchen. She’s started just coming in on her own rather than having Scott answer the door every day. He knows when to expect her, and he’s actually rather happy she’s felt comfortable enough around him to come in when she pleases. 

“Hey.” He says, setting the plate down and pulling out a chair for her. “Dinner’s just ready, if you want a plate.” 

Tessa’s eaten over at Scott’s every night this week. It’s becoming something of a habit and Scott enjoys this as well - feeding her. He likes seeing the look on her face when she tries something of his that she really likes. He takes pride in the fact that he was the one to make it for her. 

“You heard about the dance?” He asks Tessa as she settles in.

Tessa nods. “We’ve been through it before.” She says. “I’m Emma’s mum _and_ dad so it works out.” 

Scott smiles. He likes that answer. 

There’s a father-daughter dance coming up for girl scouts and, though Tessa hasn’t spoken to Emma about it yet, she’s expecting they’ll do as they’ve done in the past and go together. 

“Camping too, eh?” Scott says, forking a chicken breast and setting it on Tessa’s plate. Her eyes light up at it. She’s _starving._

Scott laughs. Here, have some vegetables.” He sets a plate of green beans in front of her and Tessa sticks out her tongue. “Gross.” But she scoops some onto her plate anyway. _Gotta be a good influence for the kiddos._

“We’re really getting our money’s worth.” Tessa nods to his previous girl scouts comment about the upcoming camping trip. 

“You wanna chaperone with me?” He asks. “They’re looking for parents to volunteer.” 

Tessa thinks about it. Camping’s not quite her thing, but Emma’s incredibly excited about it so it would be nice to share those experiences with her. And at least if Scott’s going she’ll have a friend there.

“Mh. Alright.” She says. 

Scott grins. “I’ll sign us up tomorrow.” He heads over to the staircase and shouts upstairs, “Girls, dinner’s ready!” 

It feels so very domestic to him. It’s like Em and Tess are family. 

He joins Tessa back by the food and kicks her foot under the table. She looks up at him and narrows her eyes. 

“You alright, kiddo?” He asks. She seems somewhat distracted. 

Tessa shrugs. “I’m just tired.” She sighs. 

“Yeah?” Scott asks, waiting for her to elaborate. 

Tessa takes a bite of chicken and Scott revels in her expression. _She likes it._

“I went to a parent-teacher organization meeting this morning before practice.” She says after swallowing. She’s always polite that way, Scott observes. It’s the kind of thing that he’s come to love about her but has also become somewhat of a point of fascination - trying to get her to loosen up a bit. He wants to see what she’s like when she loses a bit of control. 

“In the summer?” He asks. 

Tessa nods. “They’re hardcore. And not very welcoming.” She looks down at her plate and pushes her green beans around. 

“They weren’t nice to the new girl?” Scott asks, only half teasing. He can tell she’s upset. “Do I need to go beat someone up?” 

Tessa smiles weakly at him. 

“It’s just been hard.” She says, “Trying to settle in. Having to answer the same question over and over - ‘ _where’s Emma’s dad?’”_ Tessa sighs. “And then they can’t believe I skate for a living, like I must not make enough to support Emma or must be at the rink all the time or… I don’t even know what they think, honestly, but clearly they don’t think favorably of me because they pretty much ignored me the entire time. At our old school everyone knew the situation and they understood. It took a while to get there, though, so it’s probably just that - a new place. Having to educate everyone at first.” 

Scott can see she’s clearly very upset and he feels awfully for her.

“A lot of parents just don’t really understand.” He says, reaching across the table and placing his hand on hers. 

They don’t hear the girls come down the stairs and stop in their tracks when they see their parents holding hands across the table. That hadn’t even been part of the plan! 

Emma leans toward Sadie’s ear. “Maybe we’re better at this than we thought.” She says, and Sadie giggles.

That, the adults do hear and they withdraw from each other immediately, looking up at their girls. 

The families have dinner together and Tessa goes about helping Scott clean up afterward while the girls play in the backyard. 

Scott makes Tessa a cup of tea when they’ve finished and they settle on the sofa as Scott’s not about to let her go just yet when they haven’t had the chance to talk about what she was saying earlier. He has a glass of wine for himself. 

Scott can’t help but smile at the way Tessa makes herself so comfortable on the sofa, tucking her legs up beside her. She’s nestled in the corner of it, her arm on the armrest, and Scott’s chosen to sit closer to her - in the middle rather than on the other side. 

Tessa holds her mug in both hands. She gets chilled at practice and even though it’s summertime, she feels like she needs to be warmed from the inside out sometimes. Scott’s happy to oblige, happy to have some way to take care of her, happy to watch her delicate hands gripping his mug and to watch her pretty lips on the rim of it. 

“Skating is my _job_. That’s how I provide for Emma and it means a lot of hours in the gym and at the rink and Emma sometimes has to come with me. I don’t have someone else at home who can help out. And sometimes I’m just…” Tessa takes a deep breath and closes her eyes. “Fucking exhausted.” She admits and Scott grins at the fact that she’s used a curse word. It’s not something he’s expected from her and it’s honest and raw and he’s so _fucking_ attracted to her in that moment that he leans forward and places a hand on her bare calf. She’s in another dress, this one very low key, almost sweatshirt material, but she makes it look amazing as per usual.

“I feel that way too.” He says. “I feel like sometimes people just think I shell out a ton of money to some fancy babysitter or nanny to come and watch Sades so I can do whatever I want but that’s the last thing I want to do.” 

Tessa nods. 

“And it’s like you’re not even a person anymore, you know?” Scott goes on. “Like god forbid you have emotions or needs or… or urges.” 

Tessa’s eyebrows peak. “ _Urges_?” She asks, intrigued. 

Scott looks up at her like he hadn’t actually meant to say that out loud. “I mean… I just feel like I’m not an adult sometimes, you know? Like everything that I do for myself is judged but the only way I can provide for Sadie is if I take care of myself too.” 

Tessa nods, leaning in slightly, and Scott’s thumb brushes across the soft, porcelain skin of her calf. 

She’s so very _smooth._

And Tessa, for her part, is both comforted and thrilled by Scott’s touch. He traces his fingers up and down gently before gripping her ankle in a way that makes her bite her lip. She likes the pressure of it very much. 

“How do you take care of yourself?” She asks quietly. 

Scott clears his throat and smiles at her, leaning in closer. “I have time on my own after Sadie goes to bed.” He says, lowly, unsure why he’s feeling so aroused, and unsure what exactly Tessa’s getting at. “I have a glass of wine.” He strokes his thumb across her calf again and she looks up at him sweetly, her lashes fluttering. Scott grins at that. She always looks so perfect. “And sometimes I’ll take a hot bath or get a massage.” He says softly. 

Tessa nods. “I like baths.” She says. 

“Do you?” Scott asks, his voice is husky as he pictures her in his bathtub. It suits her, he thinks. 

Tessa nods. 

“What do _you_ do?” Scott asks. 

“Sometimes when I do laundry I put my clothes on directly when they come out of the dryer so they’re really warm.” 

Scott laughs and squeezes her ankle. “Yeah, what else?” 

“Um…” Tessa thinks for a long moment and smiles deviously. “I keep mini cupcakes hidden on the top shelf of the fridge and when I’m feeling really down I’ll have one after Emma goes to bed.” 

Scott smiles at her. That’s possibly the sweetest thing he’s ever heard.

“Do you feel down a lot?” Scott asks, looking at her calf, where he’s stroking her skin. He thinks he can see a faded scar there. 

Tessa shakes her head. “No.” She says, quietly, and Scott can tell she’d rather not talk about it further. 

“Well…” Scott says. “I think we need to step up your self care game, Virtch. Those were weak.”

Tessa feigns offense and pushes him back by the shoulder, an action which she immediately regrets because now she’s not going to be able to stop thinking about how solid his chest feels. 

“Oh, like a massage and wine are so much better.” Tessa says. 

Scott nods. “They are. You should try them. Maybe at the same time.” 

“I get massages at the trainer’s.” Tessa tells him. 

Scott shakes his head. “That’s a sports massage. Real massages are different.” 

Tessa looks at him like she’s not buying it and Scott laughs. “I can show you if you want.” He says. 

Tessa’s glances around. “Here?” 

“Well… yeah.” Scott says. “I don’t mess around when I have a point to prove.”

Tessa laughs nervously. 

“What?” Scott asks. 

“No, nothing.” Tessa says. 

“You worried you’ll like it too much?” He winks at her. 

“What? No.” She says immediately and defensively. 

“It’s only fair, right?” Scott says. “You show me how to do hair and I show you what a real massage is like. That’s what _friends_ do.” 

Tessa thinks about it. The logic is there she supposes, except both of those times he’s been the one touching her. 

“You liked it - both of those times.” He says lowly to her, looking up through dark eyes. 

Tessa nods weakly. 

“Do you like what I’m doing now?” He asks, caressing her lower leg with his thumb. “This is kind of like a massage.” 

Tessa hesitates but nods. She really does. 

“But we’re being careful, remember?” She says, though it’s getting harder by the moment to remember that herself. 

“Right.” Scott says, withdrawing his hand. He nods. “You’re right.” He takes a deep breath, tries to shake the desire from his mind. “Anyway, fuck those PTO parents, Tess. You’re the best parent I’ve ever seen.” 

Tessa smiles appreciatively at him. 

He’s pleased at her reaction and he continues. “If I were them I’d-“ 

“Scott?” Tessa interrupts. 

He looks up from his wine. 

“We _are_ being careful I think… because the girls are outside.” She says quietly. 

He sets his glass down. “Yeah.” He says immediately, offering her his hand. 

Tessa takes it and giggles at his eagerness. 

“Come on.” He says, pulling her gently down the hall to his home office. They can see the girls outside through the blinds. “Sit.” He says, holding her by the shoulders and guiding her into his desk chair. “I’ll be right back.” He says, “Here.” He gives her his wine glass. “All yours.” He winks at her and she laughs. “I don’t even get my own glass?”

Scott smiles. “I like when you use _my_ things.” He says. “I’m being generous.” He reaches out and Tessa thinks he’s going to touch her, only to be disappointed when he tucks a strand of hair behind her ear instead. “That’s what friends do, eh?”

Tessa licks her lips and smiles mischievously, reveling in the way Scott watches her so intently as she brings the glass to her lips and sips. She likes the thought that this was _his_ glass as well. “So kind of you.” She says softly, her voice more sultry than she’d actually meant it to be, but the way Scott reacts, biting his lip, his eyes raking over her body, makes her feel like maybe she wants to talk like that more often. 

Scott steps forward so Tessa has to crane her neck to look up at him from her seat in his office chair. He takes the glass from her hand and sips from it, setting it right back in her grasp when he’s done and tracing his finger along her jawline. “I’m very friendly.” He says, and the way she bats her eyes, heavy now for reasons she can’t quite process, makes Scott almost nervous. He likes her so much. He actually forgets his main task, and Tessa has to remind him. “Are you going to show me what a _real_ massage is like or-?” 

Scott snaps himself out of it. “Yeah.” He says, smiling goofily at her. He laughs at himself. “Don’t move.” 

He heads out of the room and down the hall to retrieve a bottle of lotion from the downstairs bath, and when he comes back with it, Tessa cocks her head and looks up at him skeptically. 

“Relax.” He says, smiling. “I’m keeping it purely friendly.” He glances out of the blinds to make sure the girls are still out there. They are - sitting under the tree talking amongst themselves. 

“Will your mummy take you shopping for a dress for the dance?” Sadie asks. 

Emma nods. “Prolly. But I have some already I could wear. Mummy just likes dress shopping.”

“That’s nice.” Sadie sighs, trying not to feel jealous.” 

Emma shrugs. “It’s kind of annoying. I don’t really like it. Plus my mummy tries on a bunch of dresses and never even gets the good ones.” 

“What do you mean?” Sadie asks. “Your mummy always wears dresses.” 

Emma plucks at a few blades of grass. “She gets the _boring_ ones. When she makes me go shopping with her she tries on all kinds of dresses and some of them she says are _too much_ , but I actually think those are the best ones. She never believes me.” 

“Oh.” Sadie says, nodding. 

“Hm.” Emma says, twisting the grass she’d plucked between her fingers. 

“What?” Sadie asks. 

“I have an idea.” Emma says, grinning.

For his part, Scott does keep the massage friendly. He doesn’t want to push Tessa, doesn’t want to make her feel uncomfortable or pressure her in any way. He doesn’t want her to regret anything when it comes to him, he just genuinely wants to make her feel _good._ And that’s why he’s nervous. His hands are very nearly shaking when he lets them slip just under the neckline of her dress. He’s standing behind where she’s sitting in his chair and he grips her bare shoulders and leans in close to her, rolling his thumbs over the muscles there.

“Jeez, T.” He sighs, when he feels how tense she is. He can smell her hair and it smells like flowers and she’s warm now from the wine and he wants nothing more than to touch all of her, but he keeps himself fully focused on the task at hand.

“Come on, kiddo, relax.” He says softly to her. She has her eyes closed at this point. She actually thinks he’s making her more tense because it takes so much effort to want to keep this completely friendly. It takes _so much effort_ to keep the thoughts of all the other places she wants him to touch her at bay. 

She does like the sound of his voice, though, and his hands are doing something quite unlike a sports massage. 

“That’s it.” She hears Scott say quietly and she feels her blood rushing back to the muscles of her shoulders. 

She can’t help the little whimper of satisfaction that escapes her lips at the feel of it and Scott takes a deep breath as he tries to stay composed. His thumbs work long lines up her back, and he can feel the straps of her bra - lace. He closes his eyes and tries not to picture what she looks like in lace when he feels her lean her head back and rest on his forearm. 

He opens his eyes and breaks into a smile when he sees the expression on her face. Her eyes are shut and she looks incredibly at peace. 

“Good?” He asks her, leaning down and letting his nose brush against her cheek. 

Tessa’s lips part and she sighs softly before nodding. 

“Good.” He says softly. He continues working her shoulders and slowly works his way up to her neck. He runs his hands over the muscle there and then smooths a hand flat down over her neck and the front of her chest and she sighs and presses herself up toward his touch so that his hand slips lower under the neckline of her dress and brushes the lace of her bra. 

Scott knows he’s not always the most well attuned to body language but he’s pretty damn sure that wasn’t a _friendly_ move she just pulled… 

He moves his hand back slightly but Tessa reaches out and grasps his forearm with both hands, an action that makes Scott feel incredibly proud of his ministrations.

_God, he’s strong_ , Tessa thinks as she holds his arm. She’s not fully sure what she’s doing, all she knows is that she _wants_ this and that feeling - that _want_ is so novel to her. It’s been such a long time since she’s wanted anything for herself - wanted any _one_ for herself that she feels a bit out of control. It would be terrifying if she weren’t so thrilled. 

“Tess.” He says, unsure. 

“No.” She says softly. “just… don’t stop.” She hopes she doesn’t sound as desperate as she feels. 

Scott lets out something between a groan and a grunt because _she fucking wants him to touch her. And Jesus,_ he thinks he’d give anything to hear her say that again. _Don’t stop._

Scott doesn’t stop. He smooths both hands down her chest and over the very tip of her bra on either side, feeling the lace again. He leans over her so that his cheek is against hers and he can hear her breathing and the way she sighs when he moves his hands further down. 

Tessa arches upward toward his touch, and he moves lower, struggling to ignore the fact that his pants are starting to feel tighter in a very _un_ -friendly way. 

He moves lower at her request and brushes his fingertips gently over the very tops of her breasts just under the lace and when Tessa whimpers, Scott tucks his face into the crook of her neck because he feels like it’s all just too much.

Her skin there is so smooth and so firm but soft and he just can’t think about anything right now. He quickly realises tucking his face into her neck was a mistake because her skin smells like flowers and he _wants_ her. He traces his nose along the line of muscle in her neck until he reaches her jawline. She’s digging her nails into his forearm now but Scott can barely feel it. He’s so caught up in her. He rests his forehead against her temple and sighs deeply. “I love touching you.” He says lowly. “But this isn’t friendly, Tess.” 

Tessa rolls her head back and leans the back of it onto one of Scott’s forearms. The look she gives him sends a rush of heat through his entire body.

Her eyes are dark, emerald green and her lips are rosy red from her biting them and her skin is so milky-white he just can’t believe she’s real. The look she’s giving him is something between a pout and pure eroticism and it hits him _hard_. 

“Do you think maybe we’re just very _good_ friends?” She says in a whisper that’s both naughty and innocent in the same breath. 

Scott’s mouth is hanging open and he’d feel like an idiot if he could actually think, but he can’t, so he just nods. “Yeah.” He says hoarsely. He’ll be whatever she wants - whatever she wants to call their relationship as long as he can do _this._

She whines softly and pulls on his arm again, and Scott shuts his eyes tightly and grunts when he feels his fingers brush across her nipples. They’re soft and taught and _hard_ for him. _For him._ And Tessa inhales sharply and exhales a soft “Oh.” 

Scott hardly touches her, just slowly runs his index fingers in a circle around the buds, teasing her.

She purrs and Scott sighs at the sound. It’s lovely and he just wants to hear it over and over. 

But then he feels her soft hand on his cheek and she’s looking back up at him with those big green eyes. They’re centimetres apart, Scott can feel her breath on his lips and he brushes his thumbs over her nipples and watches Tessa’s eyes flutter shut as she feels him, moaning quietly. He wishes she’d lean forward, just a little, just so he knew she wanted him to kiss her. By some miracle he has enough wherewithal to think that perhaps she _just_ wants to be touched. But he’s dying to taste her. 

When he can stand it no longer, he dips his head and presses his lips to her neck where he sucks softly and hears her hiss as he trails his fingers over the sides of her breasts and then just under them, fondling her teasingly and excruciatingly delicately. He runs his fingers back and forth on the swell of her breasts and revels in the way she moans again.

“I’ll just ask her now.” 

They hear along with the sound of the kitchen door sliding open. 

Scott withdraws immediately and Tessa springs up from Scott’s desk chair. 

“Mum?” Emma shouts from the kitchen. 

Tessa frantically goes about fixing her dress and Scott adjusts his pants, feeling extremely uncomfortable. 

“Daddy?” Comes Sadie’s voice shortly after. 

“Yeah - Be right there, Sades!” Scott shouts back, his voice breaking. 

Tessa looks at him apologetically but with a gleam in her eye that sends Scott’s heart racing. 

“I’ll go.” She says softly, realising that Scott needs a minute longer to compose himself. She heads down the hallway, checking herself once in the mirror by the bathroom to make sure she’s presentable. 

“What’s up?” She says to the girls innocently as she enters the kitchen. 

“Mum, can you take Sadie dress shopping for the dance?” 

“Oh.” Tessa says. She’s not quite prepared to answer questions just now, but she tries her best. “Well, I would love that, Sadie, but let’s check with your daddy first, what do you think? Maybe he’d want to come with us?” She doesn’t want Scott to feel left out and she certainly doesn’t want to overstep by taking Sadie herself. 

Sadie nods. “Ok.” She says. 

“Mum, where’s Scott?” Emma asks quizzically. 

Tessa tries her best not to blush. “He’s just… in the bathroom.” She says. 

The girls seem to accept this and Tessa breathes a sigh of relief just as Scott emerges from the hall. 

“Daddy, can Tessa come dress shopping with us for the dance?” 

Scott looks at Tessa, and loses his train of thought as his eyes travel slowly over her form and up to her face. 

“Hm?” He hums, as he finally tears his gaze away from her pinked cheeks. 

“Can Tessa come dress shopping with us for the dance?” Sadie repeats, slightly louder. 

Emma cocks her head. _Something funny’s going on._

“Oh.” Scott says, blinking and he looks over at Tessa, who gives him a gentle smile. “If she wants to. Do… is that something you’d want?” He asks her, still having a hard time stringing words together. 

Tessa’s smile grows. “I’d love to.” She says. “If you’re alright with that.” 

Scott nods. “I could probably use some help with styling.” Scott says. “What do you think, Em, will your mum help me pick out a nice dress?” 

The girls giggle and Tessa cam’t help the big smile that spreads across her face. He’s so good at making the girls laugh. 

“No, for me, daddy, I know you’re joking!” Sadie says, rolling her eyes at her father. 

Scott just smiles, satisfied he got the laughs he was going for. 

“Alright. Well, dress shopping after practice then.” Scott says. “Never thought I’d be saying that.”

Tessa smiles sweetly. “You’ll love it.” She says softly and Scott’s face softens. He’d love anything with the these three girls. 

Tessa and Scott meet each other’s eyes for a moment longer than would be strictly friendly and the girls pick up on something but can’t say exactly what it is. 

They don’t get a chance to discuss either because soon after, Tessa’s brought herself back to reality and is telling Emma it’s time to go. 

“I’m sorry we stayed so long.” Tessa says at the door as Emma climbs into the car out in the driveway. 

Scott glances into the kitchen to see Sadie occupied with kicking the football around. He moves closer to Tessa, who’s leaning against the doorframe. 

“I’m not.” He says simply, a sly smile on his face. 

Tessa smiles back and reaches out gingerly. Scott watches her hand as she delicately fingers one of the buttons of his shirt. 

He finds himself slightly out of breath when he looks back up at her and meets those deep green eyes once more. 

“Thank you for dinner.” She says softly. 

Scott nods, his hand ghosting over the swell of her hip. He wants to say more but can’t quite find the words. 

“I’ll see you tomorrow?” Tessa asks, as if she might not. As if he isn’t picking her kid up from Girl Scouts. As if something’s changed. 

She’s looking back down at his shirt, focused on where she’s fiddling with it and Scott covers her hand up with his, stilling her. She looks up at him. 

She reminds him somewhat of Sadie in that moment, not wanting to believe that good things might be just that - good things. “I’ll be here.” He assures her. 

Everything’s changed somehow - he can feel it, but at the same time, nothing’s changed. It’s a strange feeling but he just likes her so much. He just wants her to be happy.

The smile Tessa gives him makes him feel like he’s just won a million bucks and he sighs contentedly as he lets his hand fall away from hers. 

“Seemed like you were pretty into that massage, eh?” Scott jests. “Guess I was right after all.” 

Tessa bites her lip. “I have urges too.” She says innocently, but with a devious look in her eye. 

Scott sighs deeply. _fuuuck_ , he’s thinking to himself, picturing Tessa and her… _urges._

“Next time it’s my turn to practice on you.” She says and before Scott can even respond, Tessa straightens up and heads out to her car where Emma’s waiting. 

“Bye Scott.” She says, looking back as and reveling in the look on his face as she pulls the car door open. 

“Bye Tess.” He says back hoarsely. He’s sad to see her go. 

He thinks about her that night as if he could possibly think about anything else. The image of her - back arched, head resting on his forearm, eyes shut, lashes angled downward, lips red and bitten, hair flowing over her shoulders - is seared into his mind. He feels things with her that he hasn’t felt in a very long time. He thinks that perhaps she might feel the same way. She’s the only one that he can really talk to, that understands being a single parent, that puts her child above all else, that treats Sadie like her own even. And then it hits him…

He wishes she were in bed next to him because he _wants_ her, sure. That part’s simple. She’s gorgeous. Anyone can see that. But he also wants her in bed with him because he wants _her._ Because she’s sweet and kind and goofy and real and she’s so quickly become one of his best friends. 

He smiles to himself as he think of the word. _Friends._ He wonders how committed she is to that… 

And because Scott’s always been a bleeding heart when it comes down to it, he catches her at practice the next day at the rink. 

She’s flushed and pretty as ever in a pink top and black leggings. 

Scott waves her her when she finishes a run-through and she waves back shyly before skating over. 

“Hi.” Scott says. He can’t keep the smile from his face, and he knows he’s doing this for the right reasons, he just hopes she feels the same. 

“Hi.” Tessa says. The very tip of her nose is red from the cold and Scott wishes he could warm her. “Is everything ok?” 

Scott nods. He doesn’t usually want to interrupt her practice time, so she’s probably thinking that this is unusual, and (just as Sadie would think) thinking that something is wrong. 

“Everything’s fine I just didn’t want to wait until later to tell you this.” 

Tessa looks worried. Scott reaches out and fingers her mittened hand where she’s resting it on the boards. 

Tessa looks up at Scott expectantly. 

“Last night I was thinking and … I just … I mean I was thinking about you - _us._ ”

Tessa eyes him skeptically. 

“N-not in the way you’re probably thinking - I mean if you’re thinking about it… I uh… I mean I did think about that too.” He runs a hand through his hair. _Fuck, is he even speaking english._

“I’m sorry.” He apologises, and Tessa hesitates but shakes her head. She doesn’t quite know where this is going. 

“Alright.” Scott says, taking a deep breath. “I’ve always kind of worn my heart on my sleeve, Tess, so I’m just going to say it.” 

Tessa’s chewing her lip nervously by this point.   
“I really like you.” Scott says. “I really like spending time with you and I haven’t ever really had anyone who just like… gets it, you know? I just feel like we fit together so well and I mean - I hope this isn’t going to far but I just kind of can’t stop thinking about you, Tessa.” 

He tries to read her expression but it’s blank. 

“And I know the kids are the most important thing and I’m not suggesting anything crazy I just thought… maybe I could take you out sometime? Like on a date? As in… more than friends. More than very good friends, even.” He chuckles nervously. 

“Hey, concierge!” Comes a voice from halfway across the arena. “Practice is not over! Chop chop!” 

Tessa turns and waves at Marie France, signaling that she’ll just be a moment. Marie rolls her eyes but can’t help the sly smile that spreads over her face. “Ah, amour.” She says to herself, shaking her head. She remembers those days.

Scott winces at the interruption and the look on Tessa’s face - like she’s just seen a ghost. 

“Um… I’m so sorry.” She says quietly. “Can we talk later? I just… Need to get back to practice.” 

“Yeah.” Scott says, feeling his face flush and trying to choke down his disappointment. She’s clearly not as enthusiastic about the idea as he is. “Yeah, this was stupid, I’m sorry for interrupting. Yeah, I’ll talk to you later.” He says. 

Tessa nods, her eyes unable to meet his as she pushes away from the boards and skates over to Marie. 

Scott leaves with his hands tucked away in his pockets and eyes locked on the ground as he tries not to think too much about what just happened. It proves impossible. 


	8. Tearing the Seams

Tessa pulls up to Scott’s house that afternoon with a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. She saw how upset he’d been earlier. She knew he’d gone out on a limb, made himself vulnerable for her and she’d just thrown it right back in his face. She feels terribly about it but she hadn’t known what to say in the moment. If Marie France hadn’t interrupted she’s not sure what she would have done. 

She sighs as she rings Scott’s doorbell this time. She doesn’t feel like she has the right to just walk in today.

He answers the door and gives her a smile despite what he’s feeling and the girls come rushing out chattering excitedly. They’re going to the mall today to go dress shopping. 

“Hope you brought your A-game, Virtch.” He says, stepping out and locking the door behind him. 

Tessa’s at a loss for words. She’s not sure if he’s totally ignoring what happened earlier or if he’s doing it for the sake of the kids - it’s not like they can just talk about that in front of them. She’s not really sure what to think, but the four of them load into Scott’s car and take off to go shopping. 

Scott’s a good driver. Tessa notices things like that. She feels safe with him and safe leaving Emma in his care. She also notices the way his forearms look as he grips the steering wheel. _Ugh._ She thinks to herself. She’s so attracted to him. She _wanted_ him. It’s the first time she’s wanted anyone since Emma’s father. And then he had to go and _ruin_ it with that whole… whatever that was. 

“Daddy, can Emma and I get our nails done?” 

Scott looks back at Sadie in the rearview mirror. “Sure, honey.” He says, but he sees Tessa shaking her head slightly.

Sure enough from the back seat, Emma pipes up, “I don’t like paint on my fingernails.” She says. “Sorry.” 

Scott smiles. “No worries, Em.” Scott says. “Sades, maybe I’ll take you another time, eh?” 

“I can go with her.” Tessa says. She could use a new coat seeing as she’s been picking at her nails out of nerves ever since Scott decided to stop by earlier. 

“Yeah!” Emma says enthusiastically “And Scott and I can go to the Sports store!” 

Tessa bites her lip and looks over at Scott who’s still smiling. “I’d love that.” He says. “Should we do dresses first or second?” 

“Second.” Tessa and Sadie answer at the same time, their tone making Scott and Emma think that should have been obvious. 

Scott looks over at Tessa for explanation. “You want your nails to match your dress.” She enlightens him. 

“Yeah, daddy, what if you find a really pretty purple dress but you painted your nails _red_?” Sadie giggles at the thought. 

Emma doesn’t quite get what the big deal would be but Tessa turns in her seat and high-fives Sadie. 

Scott grins at that and shrugs. “Sometime girls are a mystery to me.” He says, mostly to himself. He hadn’t meant for Tessa to take anything from it but she looks over nervously like he was making some passive aggressive comment.

Scott looks over at her. "I didn't mean-" He begins, but Tessa shakes her head. She knows. She knows he isn't like that.

Emma diffuses the situation by adding her own comment preceded by a puff of air, “Me too.”

Tessa looks back at her with a smirk.

* * *

When they get to the mall, they head into the big department store. 

Emma’s eyes go wide. This is way bigger than the mall they normally go to in her old town. 

“Come on!” Sadie says, excited that her friend’s impressed. She takes Emma and Tessa by their hands and pulls them toward the dresses. 

“Yeah, don’t worry about me.” Scott says, chuckling and following behind the girls. 

Emma takes one look at the dresses and pulls a simple black one off the rack. “This one is fine for me.” She says, handing it to her mother.” 

“Emma, don’t you want to at least try a couple on?” Tessa asks. 

Emma shrugs. “I like that one.” 

Tessa cocks her head. “Try some on for me? Please?” She asks. She loves seeing Emma all dressed up.

Emma whines but she knows how much it means to her mother. She’s not sure _why_ it means so much exactly, just that it does. So she acquiesces. It’s also part of the plan, but she can’t let on right away. “Then you have to try on a dress _I_ pick out.” Emma challengers her mother. 

Tessa smiles. “Well.” She says, “That’s only fair.” 

Emma glances at Sadie and tries to hide her grin.

The girls head into the dressing rooms and Tessa and Scott wait outside. 

“You ok?” Scott asks. 

Tessa nods. “She’s just so different from me.” Tessa says, referring to Emma. “I worry sometimes that I can’t be the type of person she needs.” 

Scott’s expression softens. He knows exactly what she means. He places a hand on the small of her back - it’s meant to be a comfort, but he overthinks it and lets it fall away quickly, which Tessa’s quite sad about. 

“You’re exactly who she needs.” He reassures her. “No matter how different you think the two of you might be, it doesn’t matter. There’s only one person in the whole world that can be her mum. _That’s_ who she needs - her mum.” 

Tessa looks up at Scott and he offers her a gentle smile. “And about earlier, Tessa, you don’t need to explain anything. I’m sorry if I misread things.”

Tessa shakes her head, feeling somewhat breathless suddenly. “I just don’t know if dating is the best idea.” She says, under her breath, lest the girls hear them. “Sadie and Emma are best friends. How do you think they would feel if they found out? And I don't want either of them to feel like they're not our main focus.” Tessa says. "I feel like sometimes you're kind of... distracting." 

Scott grins proudly. "Yeah? You're distracted by me?"

Tessa rolls her eyes and Scott's expression turns serious . “Honestly though, Tess, I've thought about that too.” 

“And?” She asks. 

He smiles sadly to himself. “I just like you so fucking much.” He whispers. "I think we could make it work." 

Tessa swallows hard. 

“It’s not like we have to come right out and tell them, right? We can just do things our way for a little while, eh?” He lets his index finger trace over the back of her wrist. “Just you and I.” He says, hopefully. “Remember how we were talking about doing things for ourselves?” 

Tessa nods, trying her best not to smile, but the idea of having their own little secret is thrilling. 

“Anyway, you don’t have to say anything right now.” Scott says, as they hear the girls coming out of the dressing room. “Think about it?” He runs his hand across hers and she gives him a soft smile and a single nod.

_ Maybe he's right...  _

He smiles back and winks at her before turning to see the girls rushing out of the dressing room. 

“Tessa, look!” Sadie exclaims, twirling mid-way through running. 

Tessa giggles and her eyes grow wide. “Wow, Sadie!” She exclaims, “You look just like a princess.” 

“A ballerina.” Sadie says, holding her arms up above her head and twirling around. “Just like you.” 

Scott turns to Tessa. “Were you a ballerina?” 

Tessa shrugs. “For a little while.” She says. 

Scott raises his eyebrows. "I'm going to need more information on that later." he says and Tessa smiles shyly before turning to Emma. “And you look so _cool_ , Em!” She says, sinking down to her knees to pull the hem of Emma’s dress down. 

Emma shrugs just as her mother had a moment earlier, and Scott grins. She really does look like a mini-Tessa.

“Now I get to pick one out for you.” Emma says, turning and running toward the women’s dresses. Tessa chuckles. 

“Tessa, should I get this dress or this purple one?” Sadie asks, pulling another dress from the rack. 

“Hmm.” Tessa considers, still on her knees. She takes the dress from Sadie and holds it up to the little girl to get a good look and then takes it away to see the pink one. “They’re both really pretty, Sades.” Tessa says. “Which one do you like better?” 

Sadie shakes her head. “You pick.” She wants Tessa to choose something for her. 

It pulls at Scott’s heartstrings to see his little girl looking for Tessa’s approval so outwardly. 

Scott expects Tessa to pick the pink one, but he’s surprised by her reaction. 

She considers her choices for a moment before saying, “Can I tell you a secret?” 

Sadie’s eyes grow wide with the prospect of learning one of Tessa’s secrets and she nods vehemently. 

Scott feels like he could burst it’s so sweet. 

“When I’m trying to choose between two really pretty dresses, I’ve found that the best way to make a choice is to think about which one I’m going to be most _myself_ in.” Tessa whispers. 

Sadie nods like she’s learned some great wisdom. 

“Does one of those dresses make you feel more like yourself than the other?” Tessa asks. 

Sadie nods and holds up the purple dress. 

Tessa smiles widely. “I think that’s a gorgeous dress.” She says, and Sadie smiles proudly and then looks up at her daddy. “Tessa is good at this.” She says to him. 

Tessa blushes and Scott turns to her and smiles. “Tessa’s good at a lot of things I think.” 

Sadie nods and then holds her arms out. “Thank you, Tessa.” She says. 

“Oh.” Tessa says softly, as the girl approaches her for a hug. Tessa folds her into her arms and hugs her tightly. “Of course, sweetheart.” She says softly, resting her head on Sadie’s. 

Tessa couldn’t possibly know this, but when Scott and Sadie normally go clothes shopping it’s never as smooth. Scott normally just feels ill equipped and - as Tessa was saying earlier - like he’s not the person Sadie needs in the moment, but he knows there are just some things he needs to learn how to do, and he’s endlessly grateful to have Tessa to teach him. 

“Here, mummy.” Emma says, coming back over with a long green dress.

“Alright.” Tessa says, taking the dress from Emma. Scott raises his brow. 

“Daddy, wait here.” Sadie says, following Tessa and Emma into the dressing room so they can all change their dresses.

“Wouldn’t move for the world, Sades.” He says. 

Emma’s the first to come back out, slinking out of the dressing room in a frilly pink dress Tessa’d picked out for her. She does look quite pretty but it’s not exactly Emma’s style and her frown clearly shows that. Scott has to hold back a chuckle when he sees her. 

“Em, you look beautiful.” He says, and she really does. Sadie comes out second, skipping happily out in her purple dress now. 

“Gorgeous, baby.” Scott tells her as she twirls. He laughs at her silliness. 

“Em?” Tessa calls from inside the dressing room. Emma goes to the door. “Honey, I don’t think this dress is appropriate.” 

Emma giggles. “Mum, you said I could pick. You’re just _trying_ it.” 

Tessa huffs a laugh. That must be exactly what she sounds like to Emma. She lets out a quick sigh and unlocks the door. The dress is so tight she can barely walk - it’s definitely a size too small, and it’s not really Tessa’s style - a bit too short and low cut for her tastes. She has to wonder why her little tomboy who prefers jeans and t-shirts to anything remotely girly would choose this dress for her. It’s a nice colour, Tessa does like to wear green, but she hopes no other shoppers are out there as she steps out of the dressing room. 

“Fuck.” Scott says under his breath - or at least he _hopes_ it was under his breath. He isn’t really sure for a moment as he tries not to stare too intently at Tessa. 

She makes the task incredibly difficult, though with the way he can see the line of muscle in her slender thighs, and the way the dress hugs her body is incredible, he traces her curves with his eyes, eventually getting to her face, where he realises she’s blushing. 

“I like it.” Emma says simply, crossing her arms. “You can wear that to the dance.” 

Sadie nods. “It’s pretty.” And then she turns to Scott, pulling on his shirt. “Right, daddy?” 

Scott looks down at Sadie and then back up at Tessa. “It’s very pretty.” He says. “But I think Tessa would make anything look pretty, don’t you?” 

Sadie smiles and nods and Tessa blushes a shade darker. It’s quite cute but Scott can see how uncomfortable she is so he strokes Sadie’s hair, and says gently, “Remember what Tessa told you? How you should pick a dress that makes you feel most like yourself?” 

Sadie nods. “Tessa, do you feel like yourself?” Sadie asks sweetly and Tessa has to smile at that.

“Well.” She says, leaning down as best she can in the tight dress to give Emma a kiss on the top of her head. “As much as I love that you picked this out for me, baby.” She says to her daughter and then turns to Sadie, “I think it’s just a bit too tight for me to feel myself.” 

Emma shrugs. She’s gotten what she wanted to - that look from Scott that grownups give each other on T.V. when they like something they see. “Ok.” Emma says. 

Tessa smiles. “Alright. I’m just going to change.” She says, turning self consciously, trying to ignore the fact that Scott’s looking at her both like a lovelorn puppy and like he wants to devour her at the same time. 

Tessa closes herself back in the dressing room and does her best to try and get the dress off. 

“Scott, we can pick you out something, too.” Emma says, grinning at the goofy look Scott still has on his face.

“Uh…” Scott says, and before he can answer, Sadie and Emma run off to the men’s section. 

Scott’s about to follow them when he hears Tessa in the dressing room calling out. “Emma? Hey, Em?” 

Scott pokes his head in - he can see Tessa’s shoes under the dressing stall - back wedges. He likes the way those look on her too. 

“She and Sadie went to um… pick _me_ something out too.” Scott chuckles. 

“Oh.” Tessa says. 

“Everything alright?” He asks.

“Um…” Tessa says, and that’s enough to answer Scott’s question. He’s by the stall door in a second. 

“What can I do?” He asks through the door.

“Unzip me?” She asks, smoothing her hair back. “I’m sorry.” She says. “Is that weird? I can wait for Em.” 

Scott shakes his head. “Not weird.” He says and then chuckles, “I wouldn’t hold your breath waiting on those two.” 

Tessa laughs and Scott hears the stall door unlock. He steps inside, unsure where he should be looking, so he locks his gaze on her eyes and smiles. “Mr. Scott Moir, sales associate extraordinaire at your service.” He says, bowing slightly.

Tessa giggles and shakes her head and Scott feels himself go weak at the way her nose crinkles and her eyes shimmer. He loves the sound of her laughter. “You’re beautiful, you know that?” He says softly. 

Tessa smiles shyly. “Are you trying to charm me, Mr. Scott Moir?” She asks, pushing at his chest. She lets her hand linger there on his pectoral and feel the muscle beneath his t-shirt, and he sees her expression change. 

“Yes ma’am.” Scott whispers, grinning at her, his hand smoothing across her hip. “Is it working?”

He watches as she slowly drags her hand down his chest, her nails leaving a soft aching trail on his skin even through his shirt. She runs her hand over the hemline of it before slipping her hand beneath to touch the skin of his abdomen, where she feels his hard wall of muscle, and the warmth of his body. It feels so good to touch his skin directly and she lets her hand slide back up to his chest and then back down, her fingers lazily bumping over the ridges of his abs as she does so. 

“Get me out of this, will you?” She whispers, choosing to ignore his question. She doesn't care what they are at the moment. All she knows is that she _really_ _likes this_. 

Scott looks down and watches her hand, letting out a deep sigh before looking back up to meet her eyes, which he swears have grown darker. He leans in and whispers, “Yes, ma’am.” Before Tessa feels his hand on her low back. 

Tessa bites her lip at the feel of his hand gliding gently up the curve of her back. Scott overshoots the fabric of the dress and his hand ends up on the bare skin of her upper back. He watches her face for any sign of hesitation but she’s just looking at him, staring into his eyes, almost like she’s _daring_ him and it drives him crazy. 

“I don’t want to overstep here, ma’am.” Scott says softly, his fingers stroking her skin gently. 

Tessa shakes her head. “You won’t.” She whispers, her eyes darting down to his throat where she can see him swallow hard and then back up to his eyes which have that _look_ in them again. 

Scott finds the zipper of Tessa’s dress with her words bolstering him. He drags it down painfully slowly, leaning forward so that his forehead is pressed to hers. He’s looking down at her now and he can tell she’s not wearing a bra under the dress and _of_ _course_ she’s not because he’d have seen the straps - the dress is off the shoulders, but somehow being here - this close - it feels like she’s letting him in on a secret and it makes Scott huff out a breath of hot air. 

“You alright there, Mr. Moir?” 

“Mr. Scott Moir.” Scott reminds her, his voice gruff and gravely as he pauses his unzipping. “Sales associate extraordinaire.” 

Tessa smiles slyly. “My apologies.” She whispers, both of her hands on his hips now. She slips them back under his shirt and up his sides, giving his goosebumps. 

“I don’t mean to tell you how to do your job, Mr. Scott Moir.” Tessa says, “But wouldn’t it be easier if you unzipped me from behind?” She drags both of her hands down his sides at once, the hot scratches of her nails making him grunt softly. 

He nods. “I could do that.” He says. “But then I wouldn’t be able to do _this_.” He sets his hands on her shoulders and starts dragging them down, watching her face for any sign of dissent. She just keeps her eyes locked on his and he finds he absolutely _loves_ the challenge. He pushes the fabric down her shoulders, but he hasn’t unzipped her all the way yet and the dress is so tight that he can only push it down to the swell of her breasts. 

He looks down at her once more and she bites her lip and suddenly her hands are on his forearms, nails digging into his skin. “Do it.” She says, breathless. The anticipation his killing her. 

Scott grunts and presses her against he back wall. A shiver runs through her whole body at the way he grips her arms as he presses her there against the cool mirror. And then his hand is on the neckline of the dress, curling around it to grip it so he can pull it roughly. 

They hear a few seams tear but neither of them is concerned with ruining a dress that still has the tags on, and for some reason, the sound of it - the deep pulling - stokes the fire growing in each of them. It’s reminiscent of the way they feel about their relationship - What was once stitched up so tightly as a friendship is beginning to tear apart, and the feeling it gives them is nothing short of a rush. 

“I thought you were a sales -“ Tessa begins but quickly loses her breath as Scott yanks at the neckline once more and it releases enough for Tessa’s breasts to spill out. Scott watches with dark eyes as they bounce gently, her nipples rosy red and begging to be played with. 

He looks up at her, her flushed cheeks and mischievous green eyes spurring him on. He licks his lips, his arms looped around her waist now. He allows himself to blatantly look back down and admires her for a moment before he feels her hand raking through his hair. 

He glances up and nearly loses it when he sees her - pouting at him, like she’s innocent as snow, like she has no idea what she’s doing. 

“Tess -“ He says, his voice scratchy. 

“I need your help Mr. Moir.” She says breathily. 

“Fuck, Tess.” He sighs and lets his hands trace her curves once more, all the way down to the hem of her dress where he lets one slip between her legs to caress the inside of her thigh and lowers his head down between her breasts to suck on the skin there, teasing her. 

Tessa lets out a quiet sigh just as they hear a loud beeping sound. 

"Would the parents of two little girls, uh - _Emma and Sadie_ \- please report to the checkout desk.” A droning voice says over the store speaker. 


	9. Grownup Conversations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy December! I swear there's a point to all these conversations! 😆

“Fuck.” Scott says again, this time for an entirely different reason. He can see the fear immediately fill Tessa’s eyes, and he reaches back and quickly unzips the back of her dress. 

“Go.” She tells him, knowing it’s going to take her a minute to get her clothes back on. She pushes him toward the door and he nods, rushing out and to the front of the store. 

Emma’s there holding Sadie in a tight hug as the little girl cries on her shoulder. 

“That’s my _daughter.”_ Scott hears a familiar voice yelling, and he looks up to see Sadie’s mother, Lena, shouting at an _actual_ sales associate. 

“Hey.” Scott says, kneeling by the girls. Emma looks frightened, so he takes both the girls into his arms and hugs them tightly. “It’s alright.” He assures them. And then he sees Lena look over at him. 

“Ask him.” She gestures toward Scott. 

He can tell the sales associate immediately recognises him as a Leafs player and he groans internally. “It’s fine.” He tells the associate who smiles apologetically and leaves quickly, embarrassed. 

Tessa comes running toward them and falls onto her knees beside Scott, joining in on the hug. “What happened?” She asks breathlessly, and before anyone can answer she’s apologising. “I’m so sorry.” She says to the girls. “We should never have left you on your own. What happened?” 

She’s absolutely terrified to know the answer, terrified to see Sadie crying and she feels like a failure as a parent because _how the hell was she so irresponsible leaving her child alone in a store?_

Scott grips Tessa’s arm and she looks up at him. “It’s ok.” He says, and then he stands up and Tessa watches him approach a woman standing a little distance off. 

Tessa holds the girls tightly and strokes Sadie’s hair. “Shh. Honey, why are you crying?” She asks gently. 

“My mummy.” The girl whimpers and clutches onto Tessa’s shirt. 

“She’s _my_ daughter too, Scott!” She hears the woman yelling and Tessa puts two and two together. The woman’s a little taller than Tessa with blonde hair just like Sadie and blue eyes. She’s quite pretty but obviously not in the best state. Tessa thinks she might be drunk and a pang of protectiveness runs through her. She holds the girls closer, unsure what she should do. 

Scott’s trying to get the woman to lower her voice. “Lena, let’s do this later.” Scott says lowly, but it only seems to upset her more. 

“Oh, screw you, _let’s do this later_.” She goes off and pushes Scott’s chest. Tessa flinches and stands up, keeping the girls at her side. “Come on.” She says softly to them, turning them and starting to lead them away.

“Oh not so fast!” She hears the woman shouting. 

“Lena.” She hears Scott warn. 

“Oh no, no. I deserve to know who’s walking away with _MY_ daughter!” She yells toward Tessa. “Who is she, Scott?” 

“Just” Scott looks over at Tessa thankful she’s taking the girls outside. “Just leave her out of this, okay?” Scott says.

“Oh.” Lena laughs. “Oh I see. So you’re fucking her?” The woman scoffs and Tessa feels Sadie’s grip tighten on her. 

“Just keep walking, come on, sweetheart.” Tessa says. She doesn’t hear Scott’s reply to Lena. She speaks calmly to the girls instead, shuttling them away and out to the car. 

Tessa realises she doesn’t have the keys and curses to herself as she tries to open the door anyway. Sadie’s shaking and Tessa doesn’t quite know how to handle the situation but she leans over and lifts the girl up into her arms. “Come here, pumpkin.” Tessa says softly, holding the back of Sadie’s head and stroking her hair. Emma hovers by Tessa’s side and Tessa lets her hand fall from Sadie’s head to Emma’s. “It’s alright.” She tells them. 

“Mumma?” Emma looks up at Tessa and Tessa’s heart breaks. She can’t remember the last time Emma called her that. “What did we do?” Emma asks. 

Tessa shakes her head. She wishes the girls were little enough that she could hold both of them at once. “Nothing, sweetheart.” Tessa assures them. “You didn’t do anything wrong, I promise.” 

Sadie whimpers and Tessa shifts on her feet. “You’re ok, Sadie.” She tells her. “I’ve got you.” Sadie’s grip tightens on her once more. 

“Why was Sadie’s mummy mad?” Emma asks. 

Tessa looks at her daughter and shakes her head. “I don’t know, baby, but I’m sorry the two of you had to see that. That was not appropriate and grownups should never speak like that around kids.” 

Sadie sobs and Tessa holds her tighter. “I’m sorry, baby.” She says to Sadie. “I’m so sorry, honey.” She runs a hand up and down Sadie’s back to soothe her.

“I don’t wanna go with her.” Sadie whimpers. 

“Shh.” Tessa soothes. “You’re not going anywhere. I’ve got you, I promise. Your daddy will be out soon.” 

Tessa feels herself relax slightly when she sees Scott emerge from the mall finally. He looks absolutely wrecked and Tessa’s heart breaks for him. 

“I’m so sorry.” He says breathlessly, holding his arms out for Sadie. Tessa shifts the little girl into her father’s arms and lifts her own little girl up into hers, kissing her on the cheek. “You’re ok.” She assures Emma, who nods. 

“I’m so sorry you two had to see that.” Scott says to Tessa and Emma. “And Sades, I’m sorry you had to see that too. That wasn’t fair to you.” 

“Mummy’s different.” Sadie says, her voice weak. 

Scott nods and Tessa can see the hurt on his face. “She wasn’t feeling so well, baby. She’s fine just… she needs a nap. That’s all.” Scott shakes his head and glances up at Tessa who looks at him apologetically. She has no idea how to address this, but it’s clear to her now that Sadie’s mother had been drunk. 

“Maybe we should all go get some dinner?” Tessa suggests, and Scott offers her a grateful smile. 

“Sushi?” Sadie suggests softly. 

Tessa smiles gently at the little girl. “Sushi’s my favourite.” She says. 

Sadie smiles despite the tears on her cheeks. 

“Maybe we should get out of here though, eh?” Scott says softly, running his hand through Sadie’s hair and kissing her head. 

“What about our dresses?” Sadie asks quietly. 

“Hm…” Tessa says. “Why don’t the three of you order us some food and I’ll go get the dresses.” Tessa suggests. 

“Tess I can -“ But Tessa shakes her head, running a hand over Scott’s back. She sets Emma down and holds her face in her hands, kissing her. “You ok, baby?” She asks. 

Emma nods. “I want a rainbow roll.” She says, and Tessa chuckles. “You got it.” She says giving Emma one more peck on the forehead before straightening up. 

“Tessa?” Sadie says. 

Tessa steps closer and sets a gentle hand on Sadie’s back. “Can I come with you?” 

Tessa looks up at Scott who looks surprised. 

“Oh, sweetheart, are you sure?” 

Sadie nods and Tessa looks up at Scott who gives her a small nod and sets Sadie on the ground. Tessa holds her hand out and the little girl takes it. 

“You’re ok out here, Em?” Tessa asks again just to be sure. Emma nods and Tessa and Sadie head back inside to get the dresses. 

* * *

Scott’s gets into the car and lets Emma take the passenger seat while they wait. 

“Scott, why was Sadie’s mum so mad?” She asks. 

Scott looks over at Emma. “There are a lot of complicated reasons, Em.” He tells her, trying to level with her without giving her too much information. 

“My mum looked scared.” She says. 

Scott’s face drops. “I know.” He says. “It was scary. I’m really sorry, and I’ll make sure to make it up to her. Were you scared too?” He asks. 

Emma shakes her head and Scott smiles softly. “You know there’s nothing wrong with being scared, right?” 

Emma nods. “I know. Mum tells me that.” 

Scott nods back. “That’s good.” He says. “It’s always good to talk about how you’re feeling.” 

Emma chews her lip. “Sometimes I think mum doesn't tell me how _she’s_ feeling.” Emma says. 

Scott cocks his head. “Yeah? What do you mean?” 

Emma shrugs. “Sometimes I can tell she’s sad or worried but then when she talks to me she always pretends to be happy.” 

Scott sighs softly. These kids are really something else. “You know, Em, sometimes adults - especially mummies and daddies feel like… well they don’t want their kids to worry about them. Because kids shouldn’t have to worry about grownup problems.” 

Emma stares at him and thinks about this. 

Scott smiles. He can see the gears turning in her head. Sometimes he thinks the girls forget that they’re not grownups. 

“Mum doesn’t like to talk to me about daddy.” Emma says. “And I know she gets sad about it and I think maybe I could help but I don’t want to make her talk about it because I don’t want her to be sad.” She blurts out. There’s something about the stress of the day that has Emma feeling like she needs to say some things.

Scott takes a deep breath. “Wow, Em.” He says softly. “That’s a lot to think about.” 

Emma looks down at her hands. 

“Honey.” Scott says, placing a hand on her shoulder so Emma will look back up at him. “You can talk to your mum about _anything._ You mother loves you so _so_ much and even if talking about your daddy makes her sad, it’s ok. It’s ok to be sad sometimes. What happened with your daddy _was_ sad. If you want to talk about it with your mum, I think you should. That said, you can always talk about anything with me, too.” He smiles. 

Emma fidgets with her hands. “Ok.” She says softly. 

* * *

Sadie looks up at Tessa who’s at the checkout counter ringing up the dresses. “Tessa?” Sadie asks, looking up at her. 

Tessa looks down and smiles. “What’s up, babe?” 

“What does _fucking_ someone mean?” 

Tessa nearly faints. The woman ringing up the dresses looks at her with wide eyes and tries her best to keep a straight face. 

Tessa swipes her card and takes the bag, guiding Sadie into a quiet corner of the store and crouching down so she can talk to her eye to eye. 

“Honey, where did you hear that?” She asks. 

“My mummy said it.” She says.

Tessa thinks about it and realises that indeed Sadie’s mother _had_ said that. 

“Oh.” Tessa says. “That’s um… that’s a very, very crude way of saying sex. It’s not an appropriate word for kids to be using, ok?” 

“Oh.” Sadie nods, thinking. “What’s sex?” 

Tessa feels her insides seize up. Is she really having this conversation with Scott’s kid? “Honey um… I think maybe this is something you should be asking your daddy about.” 

Sadie cocks her head. “Why?” 

“Well… It’s a grown up conversation and I don’t know if there’s a certain way he wants to share things with you. Does that make sense? I think he probably wants to be the one to talk to you about this.” 

Sadie nods. “Ok.” She says, though she doesn’t quite understand. 

Tessa smiles. “But, sweetheart if there are ever things you feel like you can’t talk to your daddy about you can always come to me, ok?” 

Sadie nods and smiles. “Ok.” She says. 

Tessa takes Sadie’s hand and the two of them walk back out to the car. 

“Alright.” Scott says, rubbing his hands together as Emma and Sadie climb in the backseat and Tessa takes her spot next to Scott in the front. “Next stop, sushi.” 

They’re a minute into the car ride when Sadie asks, “Daddy, what’s sex?” It’s so out of the blue for Scott he very nearly slams on the breaks. “What?… What?” He asks, sure he hasn’t heard her correctly. Sadie repeats herself louder in case Scott had been having trouble hearing her. “SEX.” 

Tessa nearly bursts out laughing at Scott’s face. 

“Why? What… why?” He looks over at Tessa who can hardly keep composed. 

Emma turns to Sadie. “That’s how people make babies.” Emma informs her friend. “Right, mummy?” 

Tessa looks back at Emma in the rearview mirror, composing herself. “That’s right.” She says. She’s already had this talk with Emma and, not to toot her own horn, but Tessa thinks it went very well. 

Sadie thinks about this for a good twenty seconds before another _very_ pressing question comes to mind. 

“Daddy, are you trying to make a baby with Tessa?” 

Scott and Tessa both lose their breath. 

“Wait-“ 

“What?” 

They sputter at the same time. 

“Mummy said you’re fu- doing the bad word to Tessa and Tessa said that means sex and Emma says that means people are trying to make a baby.” 

“There’s more than one reason people have sex.” Scott says quickly and Tessa looks over at him like he shouldn’t have said that. He raises his eyebrows as if to say _help me then since you’re such an expert._

But Emma’s already interrupting. “Why else?” She asks. 

Tessa glares at Scott who looks apologetic. “I um…” Scott tries his best to find a way to be succinct about this. “Sometimes it’s something people uh - _adults_ \- who care about each other do. 

“Oh.” Sadie says, thinking again. 

Tessa prays this sushi place isn’t too far away. This is making her edgy. 

The girls look at each other very confusedly. “Why does that mean you care about each other?” Emma asks. 

“It’s a very personal thing.” Scott says, finally recovering some semblance of fluency. “When two people have sex it usually means they like each other very much and they want to be close to one another.”

Tessa smiles gently at him, and Scott feels better that he has her approval. He’s terrified of fucking this up and he prays that the actual logistics of the act will be overlooked. 

The girls are quiet for a long moment before Sadie asks, “Daddy?” 

Scott prepares for the worst. 

“Can I get two different sushi rolls?”

Both Tessa and Scott exhale a sigh of relief. 

“You can have as many sushi rolls as you want, princess.” Scott says, grinning and smoothing his hair back. He’s actually broken a bit of a sweat from the stress of that all. 

Tessa reaches over and squeezes his thigh. 

She hasn’t had a moment to think until just now, but seeing Scott in the mall with his ex, seeing the way he was hurting and the way he handled the situation made her realise that she _cares_ so much about both he and Sadie. She was terrified for the both of them and to see them upset hurt her more than she could say. 

And based on Scott’s definition of sex, she actually feels quite happy that he wants to be close to her. Truthfully, she’d been so excited by the _desire_ that she hadn’t felt since Emma’s father had passed that she’d completely forgotten that sex could _mean_ something. It hasn’t meant anything to her in a very long time. She hasn’t _wanted_ sex in a very long time, but with Scott it’s different. She’s drawn to him in a way she’s never experienced before, and maybe Scott’s right - maybe if they start slow and find that they’re as compatible as they feel they are that the girls might actually be able to accept it. They both seemed so open minded about the sex conversation. Maybe it would be alright with them if their parents dated. Of course, they’ll have to be more mindful of when she and Scott’s intimate moments occur so that there will never be a repeat of today, but Tessa thinks they can manage that. 

* * *

Sushi goes well. The girls chat about one thing or another - nothing too serious. It’s almost like the daysmore dramatic events hadn’t even happened. Tessa’s both amazed and heartbroken at Sadie’s resiliency. She’s obviously seen something like this with her mother before. 

But in the end, the girls are still just little girls, and as Scott’s pulling back into the driveway where Tessa had left her car, she and Scott look back to see the girls fast asleep leaning on one another’s shoulder. 

“Oh.” Tessa sighs, her hand on her chest. 

“That’s adorable.” Scott whispers. And then he looks up at Tessa. “I’m so sorry about what happened today.” He says, and Tessa shakes her head. “it’s alright, Scott.” She assures him, “Really. And it was good to have a partner for part two of the sex talk.” She smirks and rolls her eyes. 

“Yeah.” Scott says, chuckling, “Tell me about it. Not sure where I’d have been without you. I was just kind of hoping that would never happen.” 

Tessa laughs. “Well, here we are.” She says. 

“Here we are.” Scott repeats, reaching out and taking hold of Tessa’s hand. 

“Before you go.” He says softly, looking up at her. “I just really wanted to say that… you’re absolutely right and I’m sorry.” 

Tessa’s brow furrows so Scott continues to elaborate. “You’re right that we need to put the girls first and we didn’t do that today. I think you’re right about being friends. I’m sorry if pushed it.” He says and runs his thumb over the back of her hand. “I’m sorry if pushed _you_.” 

Tessa's rather stunned. Of course just as she’s come around to the idea… no, _decided_ on the idea that they could possibly be _more_ than just two friends who happen to be attracted to one another, he’s decided that they shouldn’t pursue anything further. 

“Oh.” Tessa says. “Yeah - I mean no, no. You didn’t push me at all…”

Scott smiles apologetically and takes a moment to admire the way Tessa looks in the pale moonlight. “Anyway, I just wanted to say that I’m sorry and that I really love having you as a friend.” 

Tessa nods. “Yeah.” She says softly. “Me too… Um… are you alright? I mean that was … hard to see.” 

“Oh.” Scott waves her off. “I’m fine, really. I mean - it is hard to see but Tess, I’ve paid for her to go to rehab three different times now and I just don’t know what else to do. I just… I mean I can’t let Sadie be around her. I know she’s her mother but I -“ 

“Scott. I’m not judging you.” She tells him, resting a hand on his forearm. “I really just want to make sure you’re ok.” 

Scott smiles weakly. “Yeah.” He sighs. “I’m ok.” 

But Tessa can tell how hard it is for him and she sighs softly as she leans forward and opens her arms for him. “Come here.” She says, wrapping her arms around him. 

Scott presses his nose into the crook of her neck and breathes in her scent. She makes him feel better. "Thank you." He says softly. He's never had this before. He could’ve stayed just like that all night, but they hear Sadie stirring in the back and pull apart. 

* * *

Scott lifts Emma out of the car and helps Tessa get her settled in the back of her own car without waking her. He gives Tessa a tight hug which she reciprocates before he watches Tessa drive off.

He then goes about lifting Sadie and getting her into the house and up to bed. She’s so tired he figures it won’t hurt to let her sleep in her clothes just one night. 

He tucks her in snugly and presses a kiss to her forehead. He gets up quietly to leave her to rest but he hears her shift in bed. 

“Daddy?” Her little voice says. 

Scott turns around. “What’s up, baby?” He asks. 

“I didn’t say goodbye to Tessa.” She says, and Scott can hear the panic in her voice. 

Scott goes back over and kneels by her bed. “That’s alright.” He says. “You’ll see her tomorrow.” 

Sadie looks up at him with tears in her eyes. “I need to say bye.” She says, her voice breaking. 

Scott can’t stand to see her upset any more today so he acquiesces and hopes Tessa won’t be too inconvenienced. He gives her a call.

“Hello?” Scott can hear her voice on the other end and he gives the phone to Sadie.

“Tessa?” 

“Sadie? Is everything ok?” She asks. 

Sadie nods. “Yes. I just didn’t get to say goodbye.”

“Oh.” Scott hears Tessa sigh. “Honey, you don’t have to say goodbye, I’ll see you tomorrow.” 

“That’s what daddy said.” Sadie answers. Scott smiles gently. 

“Your daddy’s right.” Tessa says. “He’s a very smart man.” Scott grins and straightens up a bit. Sadie smiles.

“Why don’t you get some rest, honey.” Tessa says. “No goodbyes, how about see you later?” 

Scott watches as Sadie’s whole body relaxes and she smiles peacefully in the first time in a long time. It nearly brings tears to Scott’s eyes. 

Sadie nods. “Ok.” She says. “Will you tell Emma, too?” 

“I’ll tell her Sadie.” Tessa says. “I promise.” 

“Ok.” Sadie says again and takes a deep breath. “See you later Tessa, I love you.” 

Scott’s heart nearly stops when he hears his daughter say that. He hasn’t ever heard her say that to anyone but himself and his parents, and she’s never _ever_ been the first to say it.

His mind races, wondering what Tessa’s thinking, but then he hears her. 

“I love you too, Sadie.” She says surely, and Scott watches Sadie smile as big as he’s ever seen. 

Sadie hangs up the phone and gives it back to Scott. 

Without a word, she snuggles back into bed, still wearing that big smile.

Scott strokes her hair. “Those were big words, kiddo.” 

Sadie looks up at him and nods. “Yeah.” She says softly. “But I wanted her to know. I think you should tell people stuff like that.” 

Scott smiles. “Yeah. You should, huh?” He’s amazed by his daughter yet again. “I bet that made her really happy.” 

Sadie nods. “She’d be happy if you told her too.” She says, yawning. 

Scott freezes, unsure what to say, and Sadie senses it and looks up at him. “You love her too, don’t you?” 

Scott chews his lip and swallows hard because it’s finally hitting him. “Yeah.” He says, hoarsely. “Yeah, I do.” 

He steps out of Sadie’s room and closes the door behind him while going back into his phone. He selects her name and calls her right back. He has to do it now, riding this wave of realisation before he chickens out. What he does know for certain is that he loves her as a person. He loves _who_ she is and _how_ she is and _what_ she is. He loves how she is with the kids, and how she is with him when they’re alone and how she is when they’re all together. He loves how easily their lives fit together as one. He loves the way she makes him feel when she touches his arm or looks in his eyes. He loves the sound of her laugh and the crinkle of her eyes when she smiles. He loves her freckles and the way she’s always cold and how she almost completely ignores the fact that she’s in her thirties and still can’t figure out how to cook. He loves Emma, too. He wants her to know all those things, but he also respects her enough not to push things. But there’s nothing wrong debating a point, eh?

“Sadie?” Tessa answers the phone expecting it’s her again. 

“Me this time.” Scott says. Hearing her voice makes him smile.

“Oh.” Tessa says softly. “Hi. Is everything alright?” 

“Yeah.” Scott says, “But _you’re_ wrong.” 

“Excuse me?” Tessa says, laughing slightly. 

“You’re wrong. I think you’re wrong.” He says. 

“About?…” 

“Us.” Scott says. 

Tessa smiles softly as she pulls into her driveway. “Is that so?” She says. 

“That’s so.” Scott says, grinning as he pads down the stairs and settles down on the sofa. He was captain of debate club in high school. 


	10. What's his problem?

“They’re acting weird.” Sadie says as she closes the door to her room. She’s carrying two ice cream sundaes precariously cradled in one arm. Emma’s laying upside-down on her bed but quickly scrambles up when she sees the ice cream. 

“What do you mean? She asks. 

When I went down there, my daddy was really close to your mum on the sofa but when they saw me she stood up really quickly and pretended like she was looking for her phone but it was right on the table in front of her. 

“What were they talking about?” Emma asks, reaching for her ice cream. 

“I couldn’t hear them.” Sadie says, spooning some into her mouth. “My daddy was talking really _super_ quiet. But they were leaning in really close like this.” Sadie moves closer to Emma so their noses are nearly touching. 

Emma’s eyes grow wide. “That’s really close.” She confirms. “We should spy.” 

Sadie’s whole face lights up and she nods. She loves spying. 

The girls finish their ice cream and sneak down to where the stairs are. They tiptoe down a couple of steps and peer over the railing but they can’t see their parents. 

“They’re in another room.” Sadie whispers. Emma motions for Sadie to come back so they can regroup. 

* * *

“Is this stupid?” Tessa asks, but Scott interrupts her. She keeps second guessing their decision, feeling guilty that perhaps it’s not the best thing for the kids. 

She’s pressed against the wall of his office, his body hard against her, and his forehead resting on hers. 

“Just hear me out.” He says softly, reaching up and playing with the little pull strings on her sweater. “Yesterday was a shitshow, you don’t have to tell me that, I know. But that was us _not_ together. If we had been together maybe we wouldn’t have been so distracted. Like, maybe if I could get a moment alone with you at home or something we wouldn’t want to … uh …” 

“Fuck each other in a dressing room?” Tessa interjects. 

Scott chokes on his words. “Uh yeah, that.” 

“Mh.” Tessa hums. “Alone time. What a concept. What would we even do with it?” 

They’d had a long talk about it last night and they’d agreed that as long as they kept the girls _out_ of their personal business and _in_ their sights, they could escalate things in a _controlled_ way. That had actually been the way Tessa had put it, which Scott found quite funny, but the main point was there - they were more than friends.

Scott grins and nuzzles her cheek. “Maybe I could actually _kiss_ you, for starters.” He says. 

“Really?” She asks, her eyes darting down to his lips as he leans in so close she can feel his breath. She can feel her heart start to beat faster. “I don’t even get a first date before that?” 

Scott raises his eyebrows and withdraws, and Tessa’s sorry she’s even said it. 

“No, I was kidding.” She says, pulling at his shirt, trying to get him to come back, but he’s shaking his head. “You’re right.” He says, stepping back. 

Tessa groans. “I wasn’t actually serious, we almost fucked in a department store for god’s sake.” 

But Scott has the idea in his head now. “Nope. I’m a gentleman.” He says and he winks at her. “This weekend. Art class for Sadie and Em. First date for you and I.” 

Tessa bites her lip. 

* * *

Emma and Sadie shuffle down the hallway in their socks. It’s a technique Emma learned when she was younger so she wouldn’t alert her mum to the fact that she sometimes snuck into the kitchen late at night to steal some frosting off the cupcakes her mum keeps hidden in the back of the fridge. 

“I hear them.” Sadie says in a whisper and points to her dad’s office. 

The girls press themselves against the wall and slide along it slowly until they’re close enough to make out what’s being said. 

“So you won’t kiss me?” Tessa asks, a playful smirk on her face. 

Scott grins and shakes his head. 

“Not even one kiss?” Tessa teases him, moving closer. 

“Not even one kiss.” Scott says. “No way.” He leans back on his desk and rests his hands on her hips. 

“Please?” Tessa says, giving him her best pout. 

Scott laughs. “Give it up, Virtch, I told you, not a chance.” 

“But it was my idea.” She says. “I can take it back.” 

“Nope.” Scott says. “No taking it back. He runs his hands up and down her sides. “Besides, I’m saving myself for someone special I’m seeing this weekend.” 

Tessa blushes. “And who might that be?” She asks, her hands coming up to play with the collar of his shirt and then to smooth down over his chest. 

It takes Scott a moment to reply as he’s caught up in the way her hands look and feel on his body. “She’s really beautiful.” Soctt says, grinning while he watches her cheeks colour even more. “And she’s got a great sense of humour.” 

Tessa smiles shyly and looks down at his chest but it’s only a moment before Scott’s lifting her chin gently with his index finger, getting her to look back up at him. “She’s really smart, and fun.” He strokes his thumb across her chin and to his surprise she leans forward and takes it into his mouth, an image he’s going to be replaying in his head for quite a while. He groans. “And she’s so fucking sexy.” He says gruffly. 

Sadie gasps at the mention of that word again - _fucking._ And in the same sentence as _sex_ -y. She’s not sure what sex-y means but she’s assumes it’s something to do with sex. 

Emma grabs Sadie by the arm as soon as she gasps and pulls her as quickly and quietly as she can down the hall and all the way back upstairs where they shut the door to Sadie’s room. 

Neither of them speak for some time, they just stare at one another and try to process what just happened. There’s so much to unpack. 

“Your mummy wants to kiss my daddy.” Sadie says finally. 

Emma nods, still dumbstruck. “And your daddy doesn’t want to… Why doesn’t he want to? My mummy’s really pretty! What’s his problem?” 

Sadie shrugs. “I don’t know… who’s he seeing this weekend? And he said that bad word… the one that means _sex_ , and then he said sex- _y_ , what does that mean?” 

Emma shakes her head. She does’t have answers to any of those questions. It’s hard being a kid sometimes. 

“I hope your mummy isn’t sad.” Sadie says, frowning. 

Emma nods. “I hope your daddy isn’t going to make a baby with someone.” 

“Maybe he just wants to be close to someone” Sadie says, thinking back on what his dad told them in the car. 

Both girls sigh at the same time. All their efforts and _this_ is what they have to show for it?

“Maybe we were wrong.” Emma says, fiddling with the button on her shirt. “Or half wrong. I guess my mum really likes your daddy. She hasn’t kissed anyone besides me and grammy in a long time and she wanted to kiss him. So we were right about that part.” 

Sadie furrows her brow. “But my daddy said he loves your mummy. He told me that last night.” 

Emma cocks her head. “Why didn’t you tell me?!” 

Sadie shrugs. “I forgot.” 

Emma shuts her eyes tightly trying to think. “Well.” She says, opening her eyes. “There’s a lot of different types of love. Like the way mum kisses grammy definitely isn’t the way she wanted to kiss your daddy, I bet.” 

Sadie nods looking disappointed. “I really thought he meant it in the _love_ love way.” She says. 

“I think he would have wanted to kiss her then.” Emma says, disappointed as well. 

Neither of the girls says anything to their parents. They need time to think and decide to wait until after Saturday when Scott sees that woman to decide whether they should discontinue their plot. 

* * *

“Daddy, where will _you_ be?” Sadie asks as he’s driving her to her surprise art class.

“I’m going to be downtown.” He tells her. “Not too far away. And I’ll be right on time to pick you up, I promise.” 

“Are the flowers for me?” Sadie asks, pointing to the passenger seat, where a bouquet of roses rests, and kicking her feet.

Scott laughs. “Not today, princess, but I’ll surprise you with some soon.” He says, winking at Sadie in the rearview mirror. 

“Can I hold them for now?” Sadie asks sweetly. 

“Sure.” Scott says, handing them back to her while he keeps an eye on the road. 

“Who are they for?” Sadie asks earnestly, fingering the petals as she hatches an idea. She knows they’re not for Tessa and it isn’t fair. 

Scott chews his lip. He doesn’t want to _lie_ to her but he knows Tessa doesn’t want to disclose anything just yet. “They’re for a friend.” He says. 

“Who?” Sadie insists. 

“Hey, what are you going to paint?” Scott asks excitedly, changing the subject. 

Sadie normally wouldn’t fall for that tactic but she _loves_ painting. 

“Maybe a dinosaur!” She says. “Or a ballerina.” 

Scott laughs. “Maybe a dinosaur who’s also a ballerina.” 

Sadie giggles wildly. “That’s crazy.” 

* * *

“Are you sure you’re ok, mum?” Emma asks for the millionth time. She’s been asking Tessa that question for three days straight now and Tessa’s wondering if she should start worrying. 

“Honey, I’m perfectly fine, I promise.” She says as she drives Emma to art class. 

“Do you _really_ promise?” 

Tessa looks back at her daughter. “Yes, baby, I _really_ promise.” 

“You would tell me if you weren’t, right?” Emma asks. 

“You’d be the first to know.” Tessa assures her daughter. 

“You’re not sad?” Emma asks. 

“No.” Tessa says, glancing back at Emma. “Do I seem sad to you?”

Emma shakes her head. She really doesn’t seem sad. If anything, her mother’s seemed even happier than usual lately, which is why Emma is confused. Shouldn’t she be sad Scott didn’t want to kiss her?

“Are _you_ sad?” Tessa asks Emma. 

Emma shakes her head. “No.” She says. _Just confused,_ she thinks to herself. She doesn’t want to bring up the Scott thing for fear it’ll make her mother sad. She remembers what Scott said about always being able to talk to her mother about anything, and she’s sure she could but she also remembers Scott saying she could talk to _him_ about anything as well, so that’s her current plan. She’s going to go straight to Scott and ask him what exactly his problem is that he doesn’t want to kiss her mum. 

* * *

“Hey, Em!” Scott greets Emma as he and Sadie join she and Tessa in front of the art studio. Emma glares at him. “Hi.” She grumbles. 

Tessa looks down at her daughter. “That’s not a very nice hello, Emma.” She says. 

“Hi.” Emma says somewhat louder, but no less grumpily. 

Tessa’s about to say something to her but Sadie rushes over and gives Tessa a hug. “Are you ok?” She asks. 

Tessa laughs confusedly and lowers a hand down to Sadie’s head, stroking her hair. “I’m fine.” She assures her. “What’s gotten into you two?” 

The girls share a quick glance and Emma takes Sadie’s hand. “We’re just excited to paint.” She says, and leads Sadie toward the studio. 

Scott and Tessa look at each other and shrug before following their girls into the studio to get them settled in before they leave for their date.

* * *

“Emma keeps asking me if I’m alright, too.” Tessa says as they exit, giving a final wave to the girls who look oh so cute in their smocks. 

“Who knows with them.” Scott says, holding the door for Tessa as they leave. 

As soon as they’re out on the street Scott takes her hand and Tessa goes rigid. 

“Sorry.” Scott says, loosening his grip. “Is - is this alright?” 

Tessa laughs. “Sorry.” She says as well. “Yes.” She nods. It feels really nice. “Sometimes I forget we don’t have an audience.” 

Scott smiles. “They certainly do sneak up on us, eh?” Tessa giggles and nods, but squeezes Scott’s hand to reassure him that she wants this too, and he leads her to his car. 

“I thought we were walking.” Tessa says. 

Scott nods. “We are. I just have something for you first.” He unlocks the car and opens the back door to retrieve the roses he’d given Sadie to hold only to find a bouquet of stems laying nicely on the car seat, the heads of the roses completely decapitated and lying on the floor by Sadie’s seat. 

“Everything ok?” Tessa asks, craning her neck and trying to see what Scott’s doing. 

“Uh yeah.” He says, leaning back and shutting the door behind him quickly. “I _had_ flowers but um… I think I left them on the kitchen counter.” He says. 

“Oh.” Tessa says, blushing slightly. “You didn’t have to.” 

“Yeah, well, I wish I actually could have.” Scott says sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck. “But maybe we can find something even better, eh?” He offers Tessa his hand and when she takes it with a smile Scott thinks he could get used to this. 

He leads her to a park and straight to a food truck. Tessa crinkles her nose. “Food from a _truck_?” 

Scott laughs. “I promise it’s worth it.” He tells her. “They have amazing poutine here and I thought it might remind you of home.” 

“Oh.” Tessa says, smirking. _That’s sweet._

Scott orders them a plate to share and they sit on a park bench by a small duck pond. It’s secluded enough where they both feel relaxed and sure that nobody is paying them any mind. 

“So, can you speak French, then?” Scott asks, poking her nose with a fry and grinning as he watches her eyes go cross trying to track it. It’s adorable. He pulls it away from her before she can bite it and he sees that mischievous little glimmer flash in her eyes. 

Tessa shrugs. “Some. I grew up in Ontario but I’ve picked up a bit living in Quebec, and just from being around Marie France.” She says, picking a fry out of the basket and flicking his nose with it. He swats wildly and she laughs out loud. 

He admires the way she looks when she’s laughing, like there’s not a single bad thing in the world, like it’s just the two of them in that moment. 

“Say something in French.” He prompts, picking up a fry and dangling it over her. She shakes her head like she’s not going to take the bait, but just as he’s let his guard down she cranes her neck and tries to bite it.

He laughs at that. “French for a fry.” He says. 

Tessa rolls her eyes. “s'il vous plaît donnez-moi une frite.” She says, winking. 

“Wow.” Scott says, nodding and biting his lip. “Yes, ma’am - uh mademoiselle.” He likes the way French sounds coming from her. 

Tessa giggles as he lowers the fry so she can bite it. He holds onto it while she eats it bit by bit, until she takes the very last piece from between his fingers and leaves a kiss so gentle on his fingertip that Scott thinks he could melt. 

They finish the fries and Scott moves the basket from between them to his side of the bench in an effort to get closer to Tessa, but she does the job for him, snuggling into his side despite the summer warmth. His arm’s around her shoulder, fingertips brushing her skin where her pale blue dress leaves her shoulders bare. Tessa rests her head on his shoulder. “I really like it here.” She says. 

“In the park?” Scott asks. 

Tessa’s quiet for a moment. “In the park. In Toronto…” She takes a quick breath before adding, “On your shoulder.” In a soft voice. She’s looking out at the ducks in the pond as she says it, not brave enough to look up at Scott, so she can’t see the enormous grin she’s brought to his face. 

He dips his head slightly to nuzzle her temple and lets his free hand grip her thigh where the fabric of her dress ends. “I like it here too.” He says softly. “I like it wherever you are.” 

His hand slips under her dress, still gripping her tightly and Tessa turns toward him, still unable to look up at him. She’s feeling so nervous suddenly, but she loves the way he has his hand on her and she parts her legs a bit.  She realises she’s far less afraid of him touching her body than she is of him touching her _heart_. And the funny thing is she knows she wants him to. She’s so sure of that now. But it’s like she’s staring over the edge of a cliff. The drop is what’s deterring her from jumping into the crystal blue water below. She just needs a little push. 

Scott’s hand is midway up her thigh now and Tessa shifts herself lower, encouraging him. He grunts softly. “You’re distracting me.” He says, gruffly. 

“From what?” Tessa asks in a whisper. 

“From our first kiss.” Scott says. 

Tessa lets out a quick breath and looks up at him finally, her mouth slightly ajar and all Scott can think about is how pretty she looks. 

“I know you’re scared.” He says softly. “But I promise it’ll be ok.” 

“How do you know?” Tessa asks in a whisper. She finds herself unable to look away from him now. 

He removes his hand from her thigh and trails it slowly up her arm and higher still, fingertips brushing her neck and giving her goosebumps until he can cup her cheek, his thumb caressing her. He swallows roughly and leans his forehead against hers. “I just know.” He says, and then he looks down for a moment before meeting her eyes again. “I’m sorry that’s not a very good answer, but when I look at you I just know-“ 

Suddenly his words are cut short and he loses his breath because Tessa’s leaned forward and pressed her lips agains his forcefully, like she couldn’t stand to be apart for another second, and that’s quite actually what happened. Because for some reason she just _knows_ too. She just trusts this man, and there’s something that draws her to him which she can’t explain either, but maybe that’s not the important part. Maybe the important part is that they’re both _here_. Together. Finally. 

Their lips slot together so perfectly that it makes Tessa want to cry. He’s so warm and gentle and the way his hand feels on her cheek and the other on her back make her feel like nothing else could ever touch her.

Scott can’t breathe and he doesn’t care. His heart is beating out of his chest because she feels so _fucking_ perfect against him with her hand curled on his chest and the other at the base of his neck, tugging gently on his hair. She tastes like comfort and warmth and maybe slightly like strawberries and he thinks he could go on kissing her like this forever. 

But she draws back slightly panting, trying to catch her breath. Scott can feel it, hot and wet on his lips and before she can make another move, he leans forward again to capture her lips in another kiss. He’s not ready for it to end yet. He trails his hand over her hip as he runs his tongue along the seam of her lips, encouraging her to open up to him. He feels like he’s doing that metaphorically as well, and just as he feels like it’s happening in the metaphorical context, she parts her lips for him and opens herself in the physical context. 

His tongue trails lazily along hers and he hears her sigh softly so he moves a hand to the back of her neck and strokes his fingers over her there gently until she’s leaning against his chest, their tongues dancing together between them, the world around them all but forgotten until Scott’s phone goes off. It’s the alarm they’d set earlier to remind them to head back and pick up the girls. Neither of them stop what they’re doing for a good ten seconds longer before Tessa finally pulls away, smiling shyly. Scott bites his lip, trying not to grin like an idiot before he switches the alarm off. He tries his best to commit the picture of her with her cheeks flushed and her lips red to memory all while praying he’ll get to experience it many times over in the future. 

“We should go get the girls.” Tessa says, still looking at him, her eyes darting quickly back to his lips before meeting his eyes.

He nods. “Yeah.” He says. Neither of them move until Scott leans forward and Tessa mirrors him, their lips meeting again. They kiss for another minute before pulling away again, breathless.

“I think the girls might like a couple more art classes.” Scott says, looking at her seriously. 

Tessa bursts into laughter. "They just might." She says. 

The two of them walk back to the studio hand in hand, and just before they reach it, Scott pulls on Tessa’s hand, tugging her to the side. “One more. A goodbye kiss.” He says, and Tessa nods, smiling. 

This one is soft and sweet, and Scott revels in the sound their lips make as he pulls away. 

“Flowers for next time.” He says softly, silently worrying about what had gotten into Sadie that had made her destroy all the roses. 

Tessa smiles. 

* * *

“Daddy, look!” Sadie says, running toward her father with her painting. “Wow Sadie!” He exclaims. “It looks amazing.” 

“Do you think it’s pretty?” As Emma joins them, showing her mum her painting. 

“Gorgeous.” Scott says. She’s painted a figure skater. 

“It’s Tessa.” Sadie says, and Tessa’s cheeks colour. “See, Tessa?” Sadie says, showing Tessa the painting of her. Emma smirks. 

“My daddy says you’re gorgeous.” Sadie grins. 

“Oh gosh, Sadie.” Tessa says, her cheeks burning red. Scott slips a hand behind her and runs it across her back without alerting the girls. “Well, I don’t know about _me_ , but your painting certainly is gorgeous. 

Emma grumbles. Her mother is always so good at deflecting. 

“Mum, Scott and I never got to go to the sports store, and Sadie and you never got to go get your nails done.” Emma says, handing the canvas over to her mother. She’s painted an astronaut hockey player, and Tessa’s just finished telling her how impressed she is with it. “So we were thinking we could do that now.” 

“Oh.” Tessa says, straightening up and looking at Scott who shrugs. “I’m always game for the sports store.” He says, finding it endlessly cute that Emma calls it that. And Tessa smiles. “Sure. I could use a manicure.” 

The girls exchange a quick glance, grinning at each other. 

Emma’s going to get some answers. 


	11. The Hard Questions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long to update! I had a very busy week! Glad to be back though, hope you enjoy reading :)

“I want to paint my nails pink, since my dress is purple.” Sadie says as she and Tessa make their way to the nail salon. 

Tessa laughs. “You could paint them any colour in the whole universe and you’d still look beautiful.” She says to Sadie. 

There’s a nail salon just a few blocks from the art studio so she and Sadie are walking there hand-in-hand. It makes Sadie happy that Tessa seems to want to spend time with her. It feels like she has a mummy. And then she remembers that she _does_ have a mummy, and it makes her sad. 

“Tessa?” She asks, stopping and pulling on Tessa’s hand. 

Tessa stops and turns. “What’s wrong?” She asks. 

Sadie blinks up at her. “I think you’re a really good mummy.” She says, and Tessa’s face softens. 

“Thank you, sweetheart.” She says. 

“Emma’s really lucky.” Sadie says, blinking back tears.

“Oh.” Tessa sighs softly when she sees that Sadie’s about to cry. She crouches down and takes Sadie’s face in her hands, “Well, you’re just as lucky to have such a great daddy.” Tessa tells her softly, her thumbs stroking across Sadie’s cheeks. 

Sadie sniffles. “You think he’s great?” Sadie asks, wondering why she’d still think so highly of him after he blatantly turned her down multiple times. 

Tessa cocks her head but nods. “I know he is.” She says. “And he loves you to the moon and back, Sadie.” 

Sadie holds onto Tessa’s wrists. “Why doesn’t my mummy, then?” She asks, her voice breaking. 

“Oh angel.” Tessa sighs, pulling the girl into her arms and hugging her tightly. “I’m sure she does.” She holds Sadie’s head and Sadie wraps her arms around Tessa’s neck and presses her face into her shoulder. “How do you know?” Sadie asks.

Tessa’s silent for a moment. She doesn’t know what to say. She doesn’t know how to handle this, so she just says what she’s thinking. “As a mummy, I couldn’t imagine ever not loving my baby.” Tessa says. “And I can’t imagine someone not loving _you_.” She pulls back and looks Sadie in the eyes. “You’re so easy to love, sweetheart.” She tells Sadie, who presses back against her, burying her face all over again.

“And you’re really brave for being able to talk about your mummy, I hope you know that.” Tessa says. 

Sadie nods. “It’s hard, just like it’s hard to talk about Emma’s daddy.” Tessa nods in agreement. “It sure is.” She says. 

“But it’s a good way to remember people we love.” Emma says. “Even if they’re still around and we don’t see them very often.” She says, referring to her bother. 

Tessa lets out a quick breath of air _. She’s right._ Tessa thinks. 

* * *

“So what’s up for practice this weekend, Em? Should we work on stops?” Scott says as the two of them make their way to the sporting goods store a few blocks away. 

Emma looks up at him and stares at him seriously, her freckled face reminding Scott so much of Tessa in that moment. 

“What’s wrong with my mum?” She says. 

“Wh- what?” Scott asks, startled by the question and the forcefulness with which the little girl asks it. 

“You heard me.” She says. 

“What’s wrong with her?” Scott asks, confused. “Em, nothing’s wrong with your mum as far as I know… what do you mean? Is she ok?” 

Emma narrows her eyes at Scott. “I think you know what I mean.” She says.

Scott holds back a laugh at the way she’s talking to him. He feels like this is a police interrogation. “I really don’t, Em.” He says honestly. 

“If my mum wanted to kiss you, why wouldn’t you kiss her back?” She asks, and Scott’s eyes go wide. “What?” He says in surprise. “Is that a rhetorical question?” His heart is pounding in his chest. 

“I don’t know what rhetorical means.” Emma says, “But my mum is really nice and pretty and she deserves to be happy.” Emma crosses her arms. 

“Em- I - I don’t really know what’s going on here.” Scott says, just as they reach the store. “But I agree with you about all of those things.” 

“Well you don’t act like it.” Emma says, pulling the door open with a vengeance and storming inside, sending Scott chasing through after her. God forbid he loses her on his watch. 

“Hey, Emma.” He calls, following her through the store, athletic wear boxing them in on both sides.

Emma knows she’s going to be in trouble, and normally she’d never talk to anyone else like that, especially not Scott, but she’s just so _angry_ all of a sudden. She’s not sure what the issue is, it feels like it’s a combination of a million little things coming to a head in her brain all at once. 

Her mom does deserve to be happy and she’s so confused about what that means. She knows her mother misses her father, but she never talks about him and she wants to kiss Scott, but what does _that_ mean? And why won’t she ever bring her father up? Emma wants to ask about him but she hates the thought of making her mother upset. At the same time, Emma sees how Sadie is with her dad and she can’t help but feel a bit jealous. She loves her mother more than anything, and she wouldn’t trade her for the world, but she wishes she knew what it was like to have a dad too. That’s why she likes being with Scott so much, but if he’s mean to her mother then he’s not the person she thought he was. 

It’s not long until Emma can feel hot tears on her cheeks and suddenly she’s embarrassed. She walks as fast as she can toward the back of the store where there’s a camping setup - a large yellow tent on a patch of fake grass with a fake bonfire beside it. She climbs into the tent as quickly as she can and zips it up from the inside, crawling toward the back corner and drawing her legs up to her chest, wrapping her arms around herself. 

She can see Scott’s shadow outside of the tent, but he doesn’t try to come in. Instead, Emma watches with blurry eyes as his shadow travels around to the side of the tent and shrinks down - he’s sitting there, just beside her. 

There’s a long moment of silence before Emma forces a breath. It’s hard pretending like you’re not crying when you have so much going on inside. 

“Hey, Em?” Scott asks. 

Emma doesn’t answer. She doesn’t like people to know when she’s crying. 

“Em.” Scott says. “I love your mum. I think she’s all the things that you said and so much more, ok? I want her to be happy too, and you know what?” 

Emma sniffles and Scott takes it as his cue to continue. 

“I want _you_ to be happy too. Because I love you just as much.” 

Emma pauses for a brief moment before tucking her face into her arms and crying. There’s something about the way Scott says it that makes her believe it’s true. It’s the closest she’s ever felt to having a father and it hurts and yet it’s exactly what she wants at the same time. 

“Em.” Scott says. He internally berates himself that he’s upset her more. “Emma, I’m coming in.” He says, getting up and walking back around to the front of the tent where he undoes the zipper. He ducks inside and zips the tent back up behind him before making his way over to Emma who’s curled herself up into a little ball. 

Scott sits beside her silently, wrapping an arm around her. “Hey, it’s alright.” He says. “Look at me, kiddo.” 

It takes her a moment, but Emma does as he asks, lifting her head from where she’s tucked it in her arms. Her freckled face is streaked with tears and Scott can’t stand to see her this way. “Remember when I said you could talk to me about anything?” He asks softly. 

Emma sighs and nods her head, wiping at her cheek with the back of her hand. 

“I promise I’ll do my best.” He says, giving her a smile. 

Emma takes a deep breath. “I’m confused.” She admits. It’s hard to say. 

Scott cocks his head. “About what?” He asks. 

Emma’s bottom lip quivers. “My mum. And you. And my dad.” 

Scott’s brow furrows. “Ok, well maybe we can talk through what’s confusing you and try to work something out?” 

Emma nods. She trusts Scott. “My mum loved my dad.” 

Scott nods, listening. 

“Like so much.” Emma says. “So much that she sometimes still cries about him. Like when we were at your house.” 

Scott nods again, he remembers vividly. 

“And sometimes she goes through old pictures when she thinks I’m sleeping and when she sees me she pretends she wasn’t crying but I can tell she was. 

Scott bites his lip. That makes him sad to think about. 

“She always pretends everything’s fine.” Emma says. 

“Well, remember what we were talking about? How sometimes adults don’t like to share their problems with kids because they don’t want kids to worry?” 

“But I do worry.” Emma says. “She’s my mum.” 

Scott has to admit she has a point there. “I think it’s really nice that you care so much about your mother.” Scott tells her. 

“She’s all I have.” Emma says in a way that’s so nonchalant it takes Scott off guard. She’s obviously had plenty of time to get comfortable with that fact. Then again, he thinks, it’s all she’s ever known. 

“Well…” Scott says. “You have Sadie and I too. I know it’s not the same as family but we love you and we’d do anything for you and your mum.” 

Emma smiles weakly. “Do you love my mum too?” 

Scott nods. “Yeah, of course we do.” 

“No…” Emma says, “I mean _you._ ” 

“Do - I?” Scott stumbles over the words a bit. “Y-yeah, of course I do.” 

Emma sniffles and wipes the last of her tears away with the back of her sleeve. “I mean _love_ love. Like, boyfriend and girlfriend love.”

“Oh.” Scott says, his heart pounding. He’s not supposed to say anything. Things have just started moving in the right direction and he doesn’t want anything to change that. “What if we did?” He asks. 

Emma shrugs. “I think my mum would like that, since she wanted you to kiss her.” 

“What do you mean?” Scott asks. 

“Well…” Emma says, somewhat guiltily. “Sadie and I sort of heard you guys talking and my mum was asking if you would kiss her and you kept saying no, that you were meeting someone else.” 

“Oh.” Scott says, his face red. “I uh… well… I’m not meeting anyone else, that was a joke.” 

Emma looks up at him. “I’m still confused.” She says. “Sadie said you bought flowers for someone.” 

Scott laughs as he thinks about it. “Ah… it’s one of those things, Em. Adult problems that we don’t want kids to worry about.” 

“But we _do_ worry.” Emma says. “‘cause you’re our parents.” 

Scott looks at her for a moment and realises for what seems like the hundredth time in the past few days that there’s a lot more that kids pick up on than he thinks. 

“Who were the flowers for?” Emma asks. 

Scott scratches the back of his head. “Uh…” 

“Were they for my mum?” She asks, her mind racing. It’s starting to make sense. “Were they?” 

“I uh… they were for you _and_ your mum.” Scott says. “Just a way to say thank you and sorry for everything that happened when we went shopping.” 

Emma shifts quickly so she’s kneeling and studies Scott’s face. “Are you sure?” She asks. 

Scott nods. “Yeah.” He says it’s not exactly truthful, but he’s not sure how else to honour Tessa’s request. 

“Well…” Emma says, still eyeing him skeptically. “That’s nice. My mummy like peonies, though, so you should get those next time.” 

Scott nods. “Noted.” He says. “And what about you?” 

“Me?” Emma asks, thinking on it. “I like daisies.” Scott smiles. That suits her. Each of them, actually. 

“So you was my mummy joking about wanting to kiss you?” She asks, and Scott tenses up again. Emma knows how to ask the hard questions, apparently. 

“She… I - I don’t know, Em, I think that’s something you’d have to ask her.” He says, sorry to be pushing this onto Tessa, but he’s really not sure what to say. 

But Emma’s happy knowing that Scott hadn’t actually been mean to her mother. That means she doesn’t have to not like him. 

“Okay.” Emma says, nodding. 

* * *

“I’ll do the candy apple red.” Tessa says to the nail tech, and then looks down at Sadie. “What are you thinking, Sades?” She asks. 

Sadie looks up at her. “I want to do the same as you.” She says, smiling. Tessa’s heart seizes up. _Oh that’s just so sweet._ But at the same time, she’s here for Sadie and she doesn’t want Sadie to pass up a colour she really likes just because she wants to be like her. 

“What about this,” Tessa says, her eyes glimmering. “What if you pick the colour and I paint my nails the same colour as you?” 

Sadie perks up. “Really?” She asks. 

Tessa nods. “I bet you’re really good at picking pretty colours. Tessa says, beaming. Sadie nods vehemently, bursting with excitement. 

* * *

The families rejoin about an hour later, Tessa and Sadie with freshly painted nails, and Scott and Emma each carrying new skate guards. 

Sadie’s holding Tessa’s and tightly and Scott smiles when he sees it. She’s so comfortable with Tessa it amazes him. 

“Daddy, look!” Sadie shows his father her nails. They’re painted a deep sparkly purple. “Wow, Sadie they look great!” Scott says, smiling. 

“Tessa got the same colour.” She says proudly. 

Scott glances up to Tessa giving her a look as if to say, _really?_ Somehow he thinks sparkly purple polish was not what Tessa had in mind when she walked into the salon. 

Tessa shrugs. “Sadie has great taste.” 

Sadie giggles and shakes her head. “I wanted to get the same colour as Tessa but she thought it would be more fun if I picked the colour and then _she_ could get the same colour as _me.”_ She smiles proudly.

Scott’s smile softens. It’s such a sweet gesture. 

Tessa flushes and turns her attention to Emma, unable to handle the way Scott’s looking at her. “What did you get, babe?” She asks, and Emma shows her the skate guards. 

* * *

The families bid goodbye for the day shortly after with Scott’s hand lingering on the small of Tessa’s back and a quick wink the only hint that there might be something more going on between them. 

“Hey Em?” Tessa asks when they’re on their way home.

“Yeah?” 

“When we get home there’s something I’d like to talk to you about.” 

Emma’s mind races. This is quite an interesting day. 

* * *

Sadie climbs in the back of the car, looking at her hands the whole way in. She loves the way pretty polish looks on her nails. 

Don’t crush any of those flowers into the carpet, eh?” Scott says, as he gets in the front. 

Sadie looks up guiltily and Scott stifles a smile. “What got into you, Sades?” He asks. 

Sadie shrugs. 

“Might it have something to do with you and Emma eavesdropping on Tessa and I the other day?”

Sadie blushes. 

“Yeah, that’s what I thought.” Scott says, smiling slightly. He can’t help himself. It is pretty cute.

“We just thought it was mean of you.” Sadie says. “And you and Tessa look at each other like …” 

“Like?” Scott asks. 

Sadie swallows hard and looks down at the flowers on the floor. “Like you make each other happy.” She says. “Like you used to look at mummy.” 

“Oh, Sades.” Scott says. “Nobody will ever take your mummy’s place, I promise.” 

Sadie looks up at her father. “I know mummy is special because she made me.” Sadie says. “But what if someone else can be special too because she loves me?” 

Scott nearly chokes on the words he had prepared. He always has a speech ready for when Sadie feels insecure about her mother, but he’s never thought she might actually like the idea of someone else in their life. 

“Sadie…” He says softly. 

“And I love her too and so do you, you even said it.” Sadie adds. 

Scott dips his head. “Yeah.” He says quietly. 

“So I ripped up the flowers because I didn’t want you to make a mistake.” Sadie says. 

Scott furrows his brow, confused. “What kind of mistake?” 

“The kind where you give flowers to someone who isn’t Tessa.” Sadie says simply. “Emma thinks so too. It’s a mistake because Tessa makes you _and_ I happy and you make Emma and Tessa happy. So it seems pretty obvious, don’t you think?” 

Scott stares at Sadie for a moment before breaking into a smile. “You know…” He says, “I think you’re right.” 

Sadie brightens up. “Really?” She says, excitedly. 

Scott glances down at her nails and thinks of Tessa going around with the same shade on her nails and chuckles. “Yeah.” He says. “Really.” He’s known it for a while, himself. 

“But honey, just because we want something to be a certain way doesn’t mean that’s how it’s going to be. Tessa makes her own decisions, and as much as she loves you, she might not be ready to be part of something uh… bigger than just she and Emma.” 

Sadie nods. “I know. She got really sad when I talked about Emma’s dad that time.” 

Scott nods. “Yeah.” He says. “So I really think we need to give Tessa space to figure things out the way she gave us space to do the same, right?” 

Sadie hesitates but nods. “But she said she wanted to kiss you.” Sadie says. “And she said she loves me.” 

Scott smiles softly. “Yeah. And that’s good, but it’s Tessa’s choice what happens between us, ok? Just because we want something doesn’t mean that’s the way it’s going to be. And I know Tessa loves you but she might not love me the same way.” 

“I think she does.” Sadie says, surely and Scott flushes. “I just mean… This isn’t something that we can push, ok?” 

Sadie chews her lip but nods. 

“And I think we’d better just keep this conversation between the two of us for now, ok? Like our little secret.” 

Sadie nods. “Okay.” She sighs, agreeing. 

“And that includes Emma.” Scott says. 

Sadie groans. “Okay.” She says poking one of the flower petals with her toe. 

“Okay.” Scott says turning around with a smile. 


	12. Camping

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is super long. I tried to split it up but I really think it goes best all together like this !

Tessa opens her front door to see Scott standing there with a bottle of wine. 

The seasons have just started to change and the girls have gone back to school. Things have been going quite well between Scott and Tessa, and everything’s been kept neat and tidy and very secretive from the girls who seem to be behaving like perfect angels (though their parents remain somewhat skeptical as in Sadie and Emma’s case, a quiet child normally means one who’s up to no good). Today Scott happens to know that Emma has soccer practice until later in the evening, the same time Sadie gets out of drama practice. 

“Hi.” He says rather sheepishly. 

“Hi.” Tessa says back, a smile spreading across her face. She hadn’t expected him, but now that she thinks about it she’s not sure why they hadn’t planned this. 

“I just wanted to come over to...” he pauses and lets his eyes take over Tessa’s body. 

She feels a rush of blood to her head as he does so. 

“To see what you were wearing.” Scott says, lamely. 

“To see what I was wearing?” It’s comical how made up that sounds. 

Scott nods, going along with his excuse. “Yeah I - I like the things you wear.” _That’s_ actually quite true and he’s not disappointed (not that he ever is) when he sees her outfit today. 

She’s in a blue rubbed dress that hits her mid-hem just under her knees with a tiny slit up the side. 

Tessa smiles softly. “You just wanted to come look at my dress?” She asks.

Scott swallows hard. “I wanted to come look at _you_ wearing the dress. And I brought wine.” He says, reaching out and running a hand down Tessa’s bare arm. The contact makes her shiver as he traces his fingers down to her elbow and then lets his hand fall to her hip to rub a slow circle there. “And I wanted to touch you.” He says. “If you want that too.”

“Are you thirsty?” Tessa asks, taking the wine from Scott’s hand while still enjoying the way his other hand is working on her hip. 

Scott nods. “So thirsty.” He says, his hand falling on Tessa’s other hip now that it’s been freed. 

Tessa lets out a satisfied little sound. “Come in then.” She says softly. 

Scott nods and lets his hands fall from her hips with a short “hrumph.”, but is quickly occupied once more when he gets to watch her from behind as he follows her into the kitchen. She sets the wine down on the counter and is stretching up to retrieve a couple of wine glasses from the cabinet when she feels his hands back on her hips, his body pressing against her back. 

“I got the kind you liked at that restaurant.” He says, leaning down to speak into her ear. His voice is deeper than normal and it gives Tessa goosebumps. 

Scott trails his hands up her hips, getting great enjoyment from tracing her curves all the way up to her waist and then back down the front of her thighs and back up to her hips. 

It takes Tessa all of her brainpower to focus on the task at hand - uncorking and pouring out two glasses of wine. 

She turns around to offer Scott his glass and is faced with him right there, his hips nearly touching hers they’re so close. 

Scott angles his head downward so they’re even closer. Tessa can feel his breath on her lips. 

“Did you want the wine?” She asks, breathlessly and takes a sip of her own. 

Scott nods but instead of taking his own glass he takes hers and turns it so he can place is lips directly over the print her lips had made on the glass. He takes a long sip, never breaking eye contact and sets the glass back down on the counter.

Tessa sighs because she can’t take it anymore. He smells delicious and his skin feels so warm and his grip on her is so firm and his arms are so toned and... 

“Are you going to kiss me?” She blurts. She just says it because his lips are centimeters from hers and she can’t think of anything else. 

“I’m going to kiss you.” Scott affirms, his lips nearly touching hers. “Do you want that?” 

He curls his fingers over her hips and Tessa lets out a breath. “Yes.” She says, nodding. 

Scott wastes no time in dropping his head so their lips can meet and each of them reflexively moan as they finally taste the other. 

Scott’s hands are all over her midriff now - on her hips and her belly and then her back and eventually down to her ass where he grips her and pulls her into him, grinding his hips gently against her. 

“Mh.” She hums her approval into his mouth.

If his grip on her weren’t so firm he thinks she’d be able to tell that his hands are shaking. 

He feels Tessa’s hands slowly slide up his chest and drag back downward toward his navel, her nails catching in the fabric of his t-shirt and he moans softly and moves his lips to her neck. She leans back against the counter and tilts her head, sucking on her skin gently at first but with more force as he moves lower and pulls down the neckline of her dress to kiss along the base of her neck. 

Tessa’s hand flies to his hair and grips tightly, an action which had mostly been involuntary until she feels Scott react with a deep groan vibrating through her where his mouth is on her and a firm press of his hips into hers so that she can feel how hard he is. 

_Fuck._ She thinks to herself. When’s the last time she’s felt _that_?

His hands are on the hem of her dress suddenly, pulling it up slightly so his hands can stroke over the sides of her thighs. 

“Scott.” She breathes. 

They’ve been taking things _slow_. It’s what they agreed upon, what they thought would be best for everyone involved, but Tessa doesn’t want that right now. She doesn’t want slow she wants fast and hard. At the same time it’s been years since she’s done this with another person and she’s also kind of terrified that she’s going to be awkward or forget what to do or that he won’t find her attractive when he has all her clothes off. She’s terrified and in her head and she never does well in those situations. But she can’t fucking take the way he’s touching her. His hand’s gone from stroking over her outer thigh to the smooth skin of her inner thigh where his fingers stroke gently across her, getting closer and closer to where she needs him. 

But when he hears his name it sounds like hesitation and his fingers pause, gripping her thigh as he looks up at her. He’s just begun to release his grip on her when she stops him. 

“No.” She says, holding his wrist with one hand, the other knotted in his shirt. “Fuck me.” She sighs, giving in. “Scott, I want you to fuck me.” 

His eyes grow darker and he draws closer, pressing his hips to hers and grinding against her, both hands on the back of her thighs under her ass until he composes himself enough to lift her. She wraps her legs around his waist, her dress bunching up around her hips and he carries her off in the direction of the bedroom, but it’s hard to navigate with Tessa squirming and nipping and _hot_ with her legs around his waist and pretty soon he has her pressed against the wall, her legs still around him as his lips start back working on her neck. She’s out of breath and pulling at his shirt, wanting to feel his bare skin and he leans back for a moment to help her strip it off him. 

He wishes he could’ve documented the look in her eyes when she sees him, his muscles flexed and straining to keep himself somewhat restrained. 

“Bed.” He grunts. All this time and he’s never actually been in her room. 

She points to a door at the end of the hall and he carries her there promptly, pushing through the door and depositing her on the bed. She giggles with the urgency of it all. 

But Scott pushes her dress up roughly and she quickly quiets, all her focus back on him and the way his hands run over her thighs, all the way up to the lace covering her center. And then he’s on the bed and his lips replace his hands and Tessa can’t look at him because she’s almost embarrassed at how wet she is. she turns her head and immediately regrets the action as she catches a glimpse of the photo she has on her nightstand - she and Emma’s father. 

Scott senses something’s changed by the way she stills and stiffens and he looks up. “T?” 

He tracks her gaze and puts two and two together and climbs off of her. 

“Scott.” She says, reaching for him. “I’m sorry.” 

Scott shakes his head, standing up beside the bed, his erection painfully obvious and Tessa feels awful suddenly. 

“No.” He says hoarsely, but quickly recovers his normal tone. “Don’t be sorry. I can go.” 

Tessa has tears in her eyes suddenly and she shakes her head. “I don’t want that.” 

Scott chews his lip. “What do you want, Tess?” 

She blinks and a tear falls. “I just think I need a minute.” She says quietly and Scott nods. “Okay.” He says softly and gingerly climbs onto the bed. “Can I?” He asks, holding his arms out for her. She nods and he takes a place next to her, pulling her into a hug as they lay there quietly in the afternoon sunlight. Tessa rests her head on his shoulder and Scott presses a kiss to her cheek. 

“I’m sorry this is hard for you.” He says.

Tessa nods and blinks away the last of her tears, thankful that little cloudburst of emotion didn’t last long. “I just haven’t um… since Emma’s father….” 

Scott’s eyes go wide. “You haven’t had sex since then? Like at all?” 

Tessa hides her face against his neck and nods, shutting her eyes tightly. 

“Oh.” Scott says softly. 

Tessa expects him to laugh. It’s a ridiculously long time and she’s embarrassed about it for some reason, but nobody’s made her _want_ to have sex again until Scott. 

But Scott doesn’t laugh. “Tess.” He says softly. “I didn’t know. I’m sorry. I’m glad you told me.” 

Tessa lets out a little sigh against his neck when she feels the way his hand glides across her back. 

In some ways it makes Scott feel an incredible amount of pressure but at the very same time he’s honoured that he’s the one she wants to try things again with. 

“We’re not doing this right now.” Scott says softly, still rubbing her back. “You can relax, Tess. I don’t expect anything, you know that right? I’m here because I like _you_ not because I like sex.” 

She nods, still unable to look at him. She knows her face is burning red. 

“Will you tell me about him?” Scott asks quietly and Tessa stops everything she’s doing - she stops thinking, she stops blinking, she stops breathing. “What?” She asks eventually, pulling back finally to look at Scott.

“Only if you want to.” He says quickly. “I just… would like to know.” He says, unsure if he’s overstepping. But he cares about Tessa and he wants to know everything about her. He wants to know what life was like for her before everything happened. 

Tessa’s completely taken off guard. Nobody’s ever asked her that before. Mostly people are just concerned about telling her how sorry they are or how everything will be ok, or even worse - how everything worked out just fine anyway. Nobody actually ever cares enough to ask about him. 

It brings tears back to her eyes and Scott apologizes immediately. “I’m sorry.” He says. “No, it’s ok, you don’t have to - I - that was stupid, I’m sorry.” 

But Tessa shakes her head. “That wasn’t stupid.” She says, her voice breaking and she wraps her arms around him tightly. “Just… Nobody’s ever asked before.” She says softly, pressing her face back against his neck and breathing in his scent. “It’s nice.” 

“Oh.” Scott says softly, smiling and running his hand over her back again. 

It’s comforting and he’s warm and Tessa feels like she’s exactly where she belongs. 

When she collects herself she sighs deeply and leans back, her head on his shoulder as she looks up at him. He brings a hand to her cheek and strokes her skin gently.

Tessa smiles melancholically. “He made me take a cooking class once.” She says. “He bought it for his own birthday, said it was a gift for himself so he wouldn’t have to worry I’d light the kitchen on fire.” She chuckles, and Scott smiles gently and strokes the hair by her temple. 

Tears fill Tessa’s eyes as she thinks about it, blurring Scott’s face until she blinks them away. He wipes them carefully from her cheeks. 

“Did you learn anything?” Scott asks. 

Tessa laughs softly and shakes her head. “I got expelled.” 

Scott’s smile grows. “What’d you do?”

“I lit _their_ kitchen on fire.” She says softly, sniffling and Scott lets out a deep laugh that makes Tessa laugh in turn. “He thought it was pretty funny too.” She says, smiling fondly. “He told me I wasn’t getting off that easy and he bought another class that we took together. He did everything with me and made me practice at home. He’s the reason Emma and I haven’t starved to death by now.” Tessa laughs, and Scott chuckles and waits patiently for her to continue. He likes hearing about this past Tessa. 

“And one time when we were on holiday out west we found a _gorgeous_ lake.” She says, thinking it funny that her brain is falling back on the most random memories. “Nobody was there and we felt so lucky that we had it all to ourselves. So we went swimming and it wasn’t until we got out that we realised nobody was swimming in it because it was infested with leeches.” 

Scott sticks his tongue out and Tessa nods, giggling at the memory. “I had a mental breakdown.” She recounts, finding it quite funny now. “There must’ve been ten of them on each of us and I made him take them all off of me before he took any off himself.” She scrunches her nose in some strange kind of delight at the memory. “And he did. He got down on his hands and knees with leeches on his legs and took a towel and ripped them all off of me before he even paid attention to the ones on himself.” 

Scott smiles, overwhelmingly glad she has such happy memories with the man she loved. 

She sighs softly as Scott’s hand cups the back of her neck and massages her there. “He was always like that - not just to me, but to everyone. He always wanted to make sure everyone else was ok before himself. He always made me feel safe and he was funny and sweet and goofy and…” She smiles and shakes her head. “He had such a good, kind heart.” 

She looks up at Scott and her hand goes to his bare chest, her fingertips brushing his skin gently. Scott reminds her of him in a lot of those qualities. 

“What was his name?” Scott asks, his voice slightly gruff. 

Tessa looks surprised again. It’s another question people don’t normally ask. “Henry.” She says softly, and Scott smiles and nods. 

“Henry.” Scott repeats. “He was a good guy.”

Tessa nods, a lump in her throat at the fondness with which Scott says his name. “He was.” 

“I wish he got to meet Em.” Scott says. “You two made an amazing kid.” 

Tessa whimpers and wraps her arms around Scott’s neck. That thought gets her. 

Scott holds her tightly. “’S’okay.” He says softly. “I think he knows.” 

Tessa nods against his neck and sniffles. 

“I don’t ever intend to even try to replace him.” Scott says. “I would never try to compete with him, you know that, right?” He asks. “With you or Emma.” 

Tessa looks up and him and runs a hand down his neck. “I know.” She says. And she really does know that. Scott just isn’t that kind of person, she can tell because she’s met those kinds of people before. 

“Good.” Scott says nodding and leaning down to kiss a tear from her cheek. 

“So maybe we can do this another time.” He says. “I’m pretty happy just laying here with you.” 

Tessa smiles softly and snuggles against him. She’s happy like this too. 

Scott holds her in a way that makes her feel vey looked after and she hopes it doesn’t stop any time soon. She feels slightly uneasy, though. She doesn’t want him to think that she’s never going to get there because she doesn’t want him to lose interest… not that she thinks he’s just here for the sex but she’s sure he’s thinking it. 

He’s not, though. He’s thinking about how happy he is that she shared such personal things with him and he’s completely understanding of the fact that she needs some time. It’s been years, and she must have a lot of emotions wrapped up in the process. For her, he’s willing to wait as long as it takes. 

“I want to have sex with you.” She says, interrupting his thoughts. 

He looks down at her and chuckles. “I assumed that was what you meant when you said ’Scott, I want you to fuck me.’”  
Tessa blushes and Scott laughs pulling her onto his chest. “I just meant that… I want you to know it’s going to happen. I’m not just leading you on or stuck in the past or -“ 

“Tess.” He says, holding her face in his hands. “I don’t think that at all. I promise.” 

“Okay.” She says softly, nodding and resting her head back down on his chest. There’s another moment of silence before she lifts her head up again. “What _do_ you think, then?” She asks. 

Scott smiles. She’s very cute when she’s feeling insecure. “I think that you need a little more time.” He says simply. “I think that when you’re ready, you’ll know and I don’t want you to feel rushed in any way because I’m going to be here no matter what.” 

“Oh.” Tessa says. 

“Yeah.” Scott nods. “Is that ok?” 

Tessa bites back a smile. She feels much better. “That’s good.” She says. 

“Good.” Scott says, making no attempts to hide his own smile. 

* * *

It’s a few weeks and another sparkly manicure later when the girl scouts camping trip finally comes to fruition. They’re in the woods on the edge of town, remote enough that they don’t get cell service, but only about a mile hike in from their cars. 

“Mum! We’re going fishing!” Emma shouts from somewhere outside. Tessa’s trying her best to stake their tent and she’s all caught up inside, sure now that she’s supposed to start from the outside because she can’t see a single thing in this mess of vinyl. 

“You good in there, Virtch?” She can hear the amusement in Scott’s voice. 

“Fine!” She shouts back. “Emma, I want you wearing bug spray!” 

“Mum, come with us!” Emma says. 

Tessa wants to but she knows she needs to get the tent set up before dark. “I’ll meet you there, honey!” She says. There are two other parents and two troop leaders chaperoning the troop of ten girls and Tessa feels like Emma is going to be well looked after no matter where she goes which is nice. 

“Go ‘head, kiddo, I got this.” She hears Scott saying to Emma before she hears some rustling. And then she feels the heat of him in the dark. 

“Are you hiding?” He asks. “Fishing isn’t as gross as it sounds.” 

“Ha. Ha.” Tessa says sarcastically. “No. I’m just setting up the tent.” 

“Right.” Scott says. “Somehow I’m not sure step one is to climb inside and crawl around in the dark.” 

Tessa flails a leg out, hoping to catch him, and she does, right in his shin. “Ow!” He says, and then he growls and lunges for her. “You’re going to pay for that one.” His fingers find the places he’s discovered she’s most sensitive. He likes the way her breath hitches when he gets her in the right spot. 

“Scott.” She says, trying her hardest to sound serious, but if she’s being honest, they’re tangled up in a tent on the forest floor - it’s hard to appear serious in that situation and Scott knows it. He grins and his lips find her neck. And Tessa lets him because it fucking feels good. She’s giving herself over to him little by little and with each little bit of herself that she gives, she finds that she never loses anything because he gives himself to her with an ease she can only admire. And so they’re collecting pieces of each other with every passing day and Tessa never wants it to stop.

His hands are on her waist and her leg loops through his as she presses herself close, feeling his warmth and arching into his touch. 

“Do you need any help, Tessa?” Tessa recognises the voice as one of the scout leaders. “Uh… No, thank you Sarah, I’m all set here!” She says just as Scott squeezes her ass and makes her inhale sharply. 

“You sure?” Sarah asks. “It looks like you have a few poles un-staked out here. I don’t mind helping out!” 

“Oh, no, thank you so much. I er - have a method.” Tessa says as Scott’s hand travels up to cup one of her breasts. She leans forward and nips him on the nose and he licks her own nose back in retaliation, but his lips quickly fall to hers and she lets him kiss her softly.  
“Alright, well, I’ll see you at the lake, then!” 

Tessa’s too preoccupied with Scott’s lips to say anything back and the two of them simply lay there in the darkness, their lips working hard to explore the other until Tessa needs to pull away to breathe. It’s stuffy trapped under a collapsed tent. 

“I like your method.” Scott says, catching his breath. 

Tessa scoffs and elbows him. “Alright, just help me set it up then if you’re such an expert.” 

Scott laughs and lets his hand slip between her shirt and the waistline of her leggings. “I’d rather you continue your method.” He says. “I think it’s working.” 

Tessa laughs. “Oh, shut up and help me.” 

Together, the two of them get the tent property staked and set up for Tessa and Emma to spend the night before they join the rest of the group at the lake. 

“Daddy, Tessa, look!” Sadie exclaims when she sees Scott and Tessa. She shows them a large rubber lure. “It matches my nails!” She says proudly, and then looking up at Tessa says, “ _our_ nails.” Tessa smiles brightly. “See, I knew you’d choose the right colour. How’d you know we’d need to coordinate with our lure?” 

Sadie giggles and runs back to the group who have several lines cast. 

“Mum, I caught one, look!” Emma shouts from her spot by the shore of the lake. She’s holding a line with a small sunfish flopping on the end. 

“Oh gosh, Em, wow!” Tessa exclaims, hurrying over. 

“We’re going to throw it back in ‘cause it’s too small.” Emma informs her mother just as a troop leader comes over and unhooks the fish. 

She offers it to Emma who looks absolutely thrilled at the prospect and takes the flopping thing in her hand, tossing it gently back into the water. Tessa shivers thinking about how slimy it must’ve felt. 

“Ay, nice work, Em” Scott says, holding his fist out. Emma pumps her fist into his - what’s become their new handshake and Tessa can’t help but smile. Everything feels exactly how it should. 

“Tessa! Can you help me with this one?” Sadie asks, holding her rod up in the air. The girls aren’t allowed to cast on their own. Tessa’s not a fisherwoman by any means, but her dad took her a few times when she was younger and she does remember how to cast. 

“Sure.” She says, making her way over to Sadie. Scott and Emma watch as Tessa takes hold of the rod, letting Sadie stand in front of her. She guides Sadie’s hands onto the hold and then where just under the first guide where Sadie’s just tall enough to hold it comfortably, when she flips the bail and rotates it to the side. 

“Ready?” She asks Sadie, who nods excitedly. 

Tessa pulls back and they work together to flick the rod forward, sending the lure flying into the water. Tessa rescuers the bail and Sadie jumps up and down. “So cool!” She says, excitedly. Tessa chuckles and hands the rod over to Sadie. 

“Mum! I didn’t know you could do that!” Emma says, rushing over. “That was awesome!” 

Scott bites his lip. He knows how happy Emma’s praise will make Tessa. She plays it off like it’s no big deal but he can see the way she stands taller and he thinks it’s adorable, but also relatable because he knows he feels the same way when Sadie gets excited about something he can do. Not to mention it was kind of hot to watch her do that… He laughs and shakes his head at himself, but then he hears Sadie shouting, “Tessa quick!” The rod jerks around and Tessa scrambles to steady Sadie, gripping the rod above her hands. 

“Ready?” She asks, and Sadie nods. She give the rod one, two, three quick pulls and then takes Sadie’s hand and nods at her. Sadie starts to reel in the line and at this point all eyes are on them. 

Sadie looks up at Tessa, “I think he must like the colour of the lure.” 

Tessa laughs. “I think you’re right.” 

They reel the line in together with a group of girls around them cheering until they pull a salmon that must weigh at least a kilo from the water. It flops around while Scott quickly makes his way through the group of little girls and applauding chaperones so he can lift it off the ground. He beams at Tessa and his daughter. “Fish for dinner?” He asks. 

“No, daddy! Throw it back quick before it can’t breathe!” Sadie shouts. 

Scott’s thrown by the turnaround but Sadie’s tone tells him she means business and he’s not about to argue with her. He struggles to get the fish to stay still as he unhooks it but he manages it in the end and it flops back into the water and swims away quickly. When he turns back around Tessa has Sadie lifted up on her hip and is holding her hand up in the air like she’s just won the olympics as the rest of the girls cheer for her. 

It makes Scott emotional to see how happy she is and there’s something he absolutely loves about the two girls who you’d least expect to enjoy camping having an amazing time together, sparkly purple nail polish and all. It’s a sight to see. He loves that Sadie has Tessa in her life, someone to be a strong female role model. Someone to show her you can wear a dress and paint your nails but also catch a giant fucking salmon when you want to. 

Tessa sets Sadie down and she hurries over to Scott who lifts her up and gives her a hug. He can feel her little body buzzing with excitement. “Did you see that?” She asks. 

Scott laughs. “Of course I saw that, kiddo, that was amazing!” He says, making his way over to Tessa and pulling her into a hug with Sadie still in his free arm. “Both of you. That was amazing.” He winks at Tessa who blushes. “Mum!” Emma jumps up and down. “That was SO COOL!” Tessa’s beaming again and she lifts Emma up. The four of them have a moment there where they forget there’s another whole group of little girls and adults around them. Scott thinks they’d do quite well on holiday together. 

They stay at the lake for about another hour, watching the sun set. Some of the girls keep fishing. Sadie’s making sandcastles with some of the girls and Scott’s sitting on a rock watching on when he catches a glimpse of Emma and Tessa. Tessa’s sitting on a far rock by the water, her feet bare and just brushing the surface of the lake, and she’s holding Emma in her lap in a way that’s so tender he can _feel_ how much she loves her. Emma’s not normally one to cuddle, but the way she looks in her mother’s arms is more relaxed than Scott’s ever seen her and he smiles softly at it. He sees Tessa dip her head to speak softly in Emma’s ear and the little girl looks up at her mother completely transfixed. It’s one of the sweetest things Scott’s ever seen. And then something happens that makes him feel something he’s never felt before. Sadie wanders over and Emma and Tessa make room for her. She snuggles right into Tessa’s other side and the three of them sit there speaking softly, Tessa rocking both girls slightly in her arms, speaking gently to them about something that’s capturing their complete attention. She rests her cheek first on Emma’s head and then on Sadie’s, pressing a kiss to each of their foreheads. 

Scott could’ve watched it forever but Tessa looks up after a while and catches his eye. He smiles softly at her and she smiles back, still speaking to the girls. She lets her eyes linger on him for a moment before looking down at Emma, who seems to be asking a question. Tessa holds up her wrist and shows the little girl her bracelet, and Sadie reaches out and touches the charm. Tessa smiles and laughs at something Sadie says, and Scott grins despite having no idea what they’re talking about. He watches the girls quietly for a few more minutes before it’s time to get going back to camp for the night. 

Sadie and Emma walk with a few of the other girls while Scott hangs back for a moment waiting for Tessa. “Hey you.” He says softly to her, holding out a hand to help her down from the rock she’d been perched on with the girls. She takes his hand even though she doesn’t need it and allows him to help her down. She expects him to let go but he doesn’t, walking back toward the campsite with her hand in his. She smiles shyly when he lets go of her hand only to wrap his arm around her waist and nuzzle her cheek when nobody’s looking. “You’re amazing.” He whispers softly to her and gives her a gentle kiss on her freckled cheek. 

She laughs shyly but snuggles into his side. 

When they make it back to the campsite, most of the girls and chaperones are huddled around the fire pit roasting marshmallows.

Tessa and Scott take a seat on one of the wooden benches around the large fire and roast their own marshmallows. Scott makes a bit of a mess with his while Tessa’s busy trying to get the perfect golden colour on hers. 

“Hey, Tess.” He says, and just as she looks over he pokes her nose with his finger, leaving a blob of marshmallow on the tip of her nose. 

Emma elbows Sadie and nods toward their parents. They watch together as Scott throws his head back in laughter as Tessa pulls her marshmallow off the stick while he’s not looking. When he finally lowers his head, she smooshes the marshmallow into his face and they both burst into laughter. 

“Not the best example for the kiddos, Virtch.” Scott says. “You’re a real troublemaker.” He peels the stickiness off his face and pops it into his mouth. 

“Takes one to know one.” Tessa says doing the same. 

“You make a mean s’more though.” He says, winking at her. She smiles. 

Emma and Sadie giggle to themselves. 

When it’s time for bed, the two girls approach their parents. “Mummy, can Sadie sleepover in my tent?” Sadie asks. “All the other girls get to have sleepovers.” 

Tessa looks over at Scott. “If that’s alright with you.” She says. 

Scott looks at Sadie and Emma’s sweet faces and couldn’t say no if he wanted to. Not that he does. In fact, he’s quite happy to have his owns sleepover with Tessa. He nods his assent and the girls jump up and down and giggle to themselves. They’re excited to be having their own sleepover but they also find it hilarious that their parents are going to be having a sleepover as well. 

Tessa lets Sadie have her sleeping bag and Scott and Tessa get the girls settled, both kneeling in the middle of the tent to say their goodnights. They kiss each of their girls and get them tucked in nice and snug before zipping the door up. 

“Well I guess it’s you and I then, Moir. I hope you brushed you teeth.” Tessa says as she starts heading back to their tent. 

Scott grins. “Just for you.” 

Tessa rolls her eyes but can’t hide her smile as she turns, climbing into the small tent. 

Scott can’t help his wandering eyes as he watches her figure bend over to slip inside.

Scott follows along after her and lays down beside her. She’s taken his sleeping bag, but he’s not about to complain. Sadie’s is just as big, and he likes seeing her using his things.  
It’s funny to be here with her.He can’t remember the last time he’d just _slept_ next to a woman. 

He watches Tessa peel her shirt off and fold it neatly, setting it into her bag. Scott reaches out and strokes a hand over the smooth skin of her back and Tessa turns to face him. He offers her an innocent smile. He just wants to touch her. 

“Hands to yourself, Moir.” She says. “There are children around.” 

Scott smiles and nods, taking his hand back. He watches her slip on a t-shirt and unclasp her bra with just one hand, pulling it from under her shirt and setting that in her bag as well. Scott unbuttons his jeans and throws them into the corner of the tent. 

Tessa looks sweet and sleepy as she rests her head on the pillow - his pillow, and burrows into his sleeping bag and smiles at him. “I’ve never slept outside before.” She whispers, as if they’d be disturbing anyone by talking from their far corner of the campground. 

Scott beams and his hand itches to reach out and stroke her hair that looks so silky cascading over her shoulder. 

“Never?” He asks. “I’m surprised Em hasn’t ever asked you to go camping.” 

Tessa bites her lip. “I think maybe she thought I wouldn’t be up to it.” 

Scott smiles softly at her. “I think you showed her you can do pretty much anything you want.” He says proudly. 

Tessa looks happy at that, and it makes Scott happy in turn. 

“Hey.” He whispers. 

Tessa looks at him, her green eyes sending a shiver straight through him and Scott reaches out and strokes her cheek. “God, you’re so beautiful.” He says softly. He can’t help himself. He’d looked at her and completely forgotten his train of thought. 

Tessa’s cheeks colour in a way that makes her look even more beautiful. 

He presses his forehead to hers and she nuzzles his nose. 

“You’re my best friend.” Tessa says so quietly that Scott almost misses it. 

But he leans in closer. “Am I?” 

Tessa nods. “I feel like I could tell you anything.” 

Scott’s heart beats faster. “You could. You can. Anything, Tess, I mean it.” 

Tessa chews her lip. “And no matter what I tell you it won’t change anything?” 

Scott shakes his head and swallows hard. “Nothing will ever change that.” 

Tessa lets out a shaky sigh and shuts her eyes tightly. “I want…” She swallows. “I want you.” She says softly, opening her eyes. “I want you. I’ve thought about it a lot these past few weeks.” 

It takes Scott completely by surprise. “Tessa - I…” 

Tessa shakes her head. “I just wanted to tell you that. It doesn’t have to mean anything and it’s ok if you don’t want to anymore or you want more time or you don’t feel-“ 

Scott cuts her off by pressing himself forward and capturing her lips in a deep kiss that Tessa finds herself relaxing into in a way she hadn’t realised she’d needed. She feels both aroused and incredibly comforted at the same time. 

Scott only pulls away to breathe, cupping her cheek. “I feel everything all the time.” He says breathlessly. “I want you so much.” 

Tessa breathes a sigh of relief that her feelings are reciprocated. 

“But maybe when we’re not surrounded by a small village of children.” She says against his lips, and enjoys the feeling of his breath on her as he laughs softly and nods. 

They lay there instead, Scott stroking Tessa’s hair and watching as her eyes grow heavy. She’s nearly asleep when she mutters softly, “Am I in your sleeping bag?” 

Scott chuckles. He wasn’t going to say anything. “Yeah.” He says. “How’d you know?” 

Tessa yawns and smiles to herself, pulling the covers up under her chin. “It smells like you.” She says.

Scott smiles. “I can’t tell if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.” 

“I like it.” Tessa whispers, her eyes shut peacefully as Scott continues stroking her hair, his fingertips running over the smooth skin of her cheek every so often. “I’m glad you like it.” He says. It’s all he can think to say.

“Are you cold?” She asks, fighting to open her eyes. 

Scott smiles down at her. “No.” He says softly and leans down to kiss her cheek. “Are _you_ cold?” 

A slow, sleepy smile spreads across her face and she nods. “Come keep me warm.” She demands sweetly, scooting all the way over in the sleeping bag to make room for him. 

Scott moves closer, peeling the top of the sleeping bag back slightly. “You sure?” He asks. Somehow it feels incredibly intimate to share such a small space. But Tessa nods, her eyes fluttering open effortfully as she tries to stay awake. “I want you.” She says, her voice scratchy. 

Scott lets out a little sigh at how sweet it is before gently making his way under the covers to take her into his arms, wrapping her up securely, letting her rest her head on his shoulder and feeling her whole body relax against his. She doesn’t feel cold and it makes him smile because he thinks she really did just _want_ him. He presses a kiss to her forehead. “Hey, Tess?” He asks. 

“Mh?” She hums, her eyes closed. She’s so very warm and comfortable, it’s almost impossible to stay awake. 

“What were you talking about with Sades and Em earlier when you were sitting with them at the lake?” 

Tessa sighs contentedly. “I told them the story about Henry and the leeches.” She says. 

Scott breaks into a slow smile. So she’s started talking to Emma about her father, then. Even more than that, she’s normalised it enough where she can talk about it in public and with Sadie as well. He presses his cheek to the top of her head. “I’m proud of you, kiddo.” He says. “And thank you for being there for Sadie.” 

Tessa turns her head and presses a kiss to Scott’s chest. “Thank you too.” Is all she can manage to say before she falls asleep in his arms. But she means it in the deepest sense. He and Sadie have changed her and Emma’s lives. 

He holds her tightly, still thinking about how proud he is of her. He’s so happy for her and for Emma who he thinks must be incredibly excited to be learning more about her father. And he’s happy for Sadie too, who has this wonderful woman in her life that she can trust and depend on. And he’s happy for himself too because he feels incredibly lucky that they’ve all found one another. He falls asleep with Tessa’s warm body pressed snugly against his and the sound of crickets chirping outside of their tent. 

* * *

* * *

* * *

Tessa’s only half awake, only half aware, but she can feel Scott pressed against her. They’re tangled up together in his sleeping bag and every single one of her senses is filled with him. It’s still dark, still nighttime, and his arms hold her so tightly she could easily drift back off to sleep, but she wants to stay awake just a little while longer so she can enjoy this while it lasts. When’s the next time she’ll get to fall asleep in his arms? 

She tilts her head up slightly, her hand knotting in her shirt and he stirs, his nose nuzzling her cheek. He sighs softly and Tessa can feel his breath on her. She can make out the outline of his lips and his eyelashes are tickling her cheek. 

His hand moves slowly up her back and then back down. Tessa doesn’t process most of what’s going on. She’s definitely not aware that they’re in a tent in the middle of the woods, that they’re curled up in his sleeping bag together. But she does know that it’s been upwards of seven years since she’s had someone hold her while she sleeps.

Scott’s leg is between hers, and it feels nice. To her sleep drunken brain, there’s nothing wrong with a tiny roll of her hips against it, and then maybe one more. And one more after that. She sighs softly and her lips brush against his. He hums, a deep rumble that feels like it goes straight through Tessa. She rocks her hips again and lets her open lips press against his. 

They’re not quite kissing, their lips just rest their on each other, their breath hot and sticky between them. Tessa’s breathing harder than normal, her grip on Scott tightening as she feels his hand slip under her shirt and run its way up her back. His fingertips give her goosebumps and she runs her tongue across his lips to taste him. 

He lets out a deep sigh and one of his hands holds the back of her head, coaxing her to bring her lips closer. 

Her eyes are closed now as she lets her lips slot against his. They kiss lazily, still sleep-hazed, their tongues meeting in the middle languidly. 

Scott’s hand travels it’s way down her back and slips under the waist of her pants, stroking across her outer thigh, before smoothing over the curve of her hip and then down slightly to palm her ass, pulling her closer, pressing her tighter against his leg and helping her hips move against him. 

Tessa gasps slightly at the increased pressure and her hand falls to the hem of his shirt, pushing it up in an effort to feel his skin. She suddenly needs to be even closer. 

Neither of them is fully aware of how they get his shirt off, but they do, and Tessa’s shirt comes off shortly after. Scott drops his head to kiss her neck sloppily and then moves down further to suckle her breast, his tongue drawing lazy circles over her hard pink buds intermittently. 

Tessa clutches a fistful of his hair as she rocks against his leg. 

Her free hand is on his hip, clutching his pants for leverage, but she lets it slip lower, her sleepiness bolstering her bold action as she runs her fingers over the hard line of his cock. 

He moans softly as he feels her touching him and she palms him through his pants, gritting her teeth as he rakes his over her nipple before pulling back and cupping her chin in his hand, pulling her face to his so he can kiss her. 

It’s deep this time and with slightly more desperation, but just as sloppy, and neither of them wants it any differently. 

All either of them can hear now is the sound of the other’s panting. Scott rolls his hips involuntarily and gets out a short grunt, and Tessa takes her hand back and slings a leg over his hip so she can press her center to his cock. She moans into his mouth at the feel of him, hot and hard for her. 

He grips her chin harder but kisses her more tenderly, gentler and more consciously. “We should stop.” He breathes as his lips pull away from hers for a moment. 

Tessa whimpers and shakes her head. “Touch me.” She says. 

Scott sighs. 

“Touch me.” She repeats. “Please.” She needs him to. 

Scott exhales a shaky breath. “Tess.” He whispers. 

She takes his hand from her face and he lets her guide it downward, under the waistline of her pants until he can feel the silk of her underwear. She’s wet through them and he groans softly, his voice quickly muffled by her lips on his. She rocks against his hand until his thoughts catch up with him and he stills her hip with his free hand. 

Tessa whimpers again at the loss of contact, but she’s quickly rewarded when he begins to touch her, his middle finger drawing slow circles over her clit through the silk. She moans into his mouth and bites his lip which makes him move faster. 

She’s panting hard now, her lips parted while his work their way down the column of her neck. She can hardly take that feeling on its own, let alone in conjunction with what his fingers are doing to her. But he stills suddenly and she digs her nails into his shoulders, tears burning her eyes. She’s so close. “Please.” She says. 

He moves his hand up and runs it alone the waist of her underwear. “Can I ?” He asks. 

Tessa nods quickly. “Yes.” She pants. “Yes.” 

He dips his hand under the silk and groans deeply when he feels how slick she is. 

Tessa draws a sharp breath when she feels him. She throws her head back and arches into his touch. Her eyes are closed as he builds her up and she can see little flashes of light even though it’s pitch dark out. 

“Look at me.” Scott whispers. “Tessa. Look at me.” 

She forces herself to open her eyes. She can see the outline of his face, the shimmer of his lips. He rests a hand on her forehead and strokes her hairline as he dips a finger into her slowly. 

“Mmmmh.” Tessa moans, biting her lip to keep from getting any louder. 

Scott watches her face, trying not to focus too much on how tight and wet and fucking hot she feels. 

“That’s it.” He whispers softly, slipping another finger inside of her. Her hand flies to his arm, nails digging in, pushing him deeper. “Scott.” She chokes on his name and he drops his head low so that his lips are against hers, just barely touching, their hot breath intermingling between them. 

He drags his fingers out slowly and then back in and Tessa clenches around him. She can feel how wet she is, can hear it over the sound of their panting. 

She holds his gaze, gets lost in his dark eyes and the feel of him filling her and pushing her closer and closer. Something within her changes and she reaches for him, her hand maneuvering between them and into his pants because she needs to make him feel the same way. She needs to do to him what he’s doing to her. 

Scott lets out a hiss of hot air as she grips him and begins to stroke him. He’s sticky and wet and velvety and feels absolutely perfect. 

They keep their eyes locked on one another and Scott keeps pace with her, fucking her with his fingers and thrusting up into her fist until neither of them can see anything at all. Scott feels Tessa pulsing around him and the nails of her free hand scrape down his arm as her breath hitches. He lets himself be in the moment, feeling her around his fingers and pressed against him. Her thumb circles the head of his cock and his hips stutter. He presses his lips back against hers in time to muffle the groan he lets out as he comes, and she lets out a quick whimper as she feels him, wet and sticky on her hand. Her whole body shakes as she comes around his fingers harder than she can remember ever coming before. 

They spend what feels like hours in the aftermath, waiting for their bodies to come back down to earth. Scott finally regains control of his limbs and lets his fingers slip from inside of her. Tessa whimpers at the loss of him, but her thoughts are quickly lost as she watches him slide his finger into his mouth. His eyes close and he hums softly as he savours the taste of her. He’s still caught up in her when he feels her pulling on his arm. He complies with her force. He’d let her do anything she wanted to him. She pulls his hand over to her lips and slips the same fingers into _her_ mouth. Her tongue circles around them and Scott thinks he feels his soul leave his body as she pulls them from her pretty pink lips with a soft pop. 

“I love the way you taste.” He breathes, and she smiles softly, her cheeks flushing. 

He pushes the cover of the sleeping bag off of them. Quite a mess they’ve made. Perhaps they should have considered the fact that a shower wasn’t really an option. Scott turns away from Tessa and pulls his sweats off, reaching for his t-shirt to clean himself up when he feels her hand on his shoulder. She pulls on him slightly and he complies just as he’d done before, turning back to her. She rests her head on his shoulder and he covers his groin with his shirt, but she kisses his neck and reaches her hand down to move the shirt out of the way. 

She lets out a soft sigh at the sight of his cock, and Scott would feel embarrassed if she didn’t seem completely enamoured with it. It stirs something deep within him. He laughs nervously. “See, I told you you’re a troublemaker.” He jokes, kissing her hairline as he begins to clean himself off. But he feels her hand on his wrist again, stilling him. 

“Tess-“ He says, but she shakes her head and lowers herself so she’s laying with her head in his lap. He strokes her hair. “Tess.” He says, his voice shaking. She’s going to completely wreck him. 

She doesn’t say a word, just rests a hand on his thigh and leans in close, her tongue running gently over his inner thigh, cleaning him with her mouth, tasting him, salty and sweet on her tongue. Scott’s shaking as he watches her, his hand still resting gently in her hair. He can’t even blink he’s so caught up in her and the way this feels.  
Without even looking she pushes the hand he’s using to clutch his t-shirt further away and works up to his lower abdomen, sucking gently just because she _wants_ to. She enjoys the way it makes him tense up every time she does it. 

“Fuck.” He sighs. There it is. _Wrecked._

She smiles against him, lapping the last of him up, taking one last taste before pressing a kiss to his stomach. 

“Get over here.” He says, his voice husky and half broken. He pulls her into his arms and holds her with all the strength he has left, his nose running along hers until he has enough breath to press his lips to hers, kissing her deeply and languidly all over again. 

When they finally break apart, they keep their foreheads pressed together, Scott’s hand in Tessa’s hair, unable to let go of her. He’s suddenly not sure how he’s ever done anything without her. They lay like that for what seems like an eternity, their breath evening out finally. 

Scott’s eyes are closed but he’s still very much awake, the image of Tessa cleaning him seared into his mind and the feel of her still all over his body. 

“I love you.” He whispers, because he can’t keep it in any longer. But Tessa’s eyes are closed and her breath is steady. She’s fallen back to sleep. 


	13. Romeo, Juliet, and Emma

The next morning, Scott’s up early, pulling a fresh pair of pants on and a clean t-shirt. He’s careful as anything not to wake Tessa. He wishes he could lay in with her a while, but he promised he’d get up and start breakfast. _It’s better off this way_ he sighs as he thinks to himself. Tessa wouldn’t want the girls stumbling in on them asleep in the same sleeping bag. But fuck if the idea of them telling the girls isn’t growing on him more and more with each passing day. 

He takes a last look at Tessa before climbing out of the tent. She’s on her side, still shirtless, though the sleeping bag covers her up to her bare shoulders. She still has her arms tucked up under her chin where he’d had to extract his hand from between hers. She looks so sweet sleeping like that and Scott hopes she’s having nice dreams. Maybe one that includes him if that’s not too much to ask. She has goosebumps on her shoulders so before Scott leaves, he pulls the covers up a bit more so she’s better insulated and takes off his jacket, laying it over her for extra warmth. He’ll be fine in a sweatshirt. He gives her a soft kiss on her cheek before climbing out of the tent.

Emma’s out by the firepit, kicking around a rock. 

“Hey, you.” Scott says as he stretches and yawns. “What are you doing up?” It’s just after seven. 

Emma shrugs. “I always get up early.” She says. “Mum sleeps forever.” 

Scott chuckles. “Yeah, Sadie too. Well, as long as you’re up, wanna help make breakfast?” 

Emma perks up. “Yeah!” She says, jumping. 

Emma gets to help Scott light the fire and the two of them get to work on heating up a large pot of water for oatmeal and a skillet to cook some eggs and bacon. The girls and chaperones get up one by one, each of them coming over for some breakfast. Sadie comes out and gives Scott a hug around the neck. “Thanks for breakfast, daddy.” She says, and Scott hugs her tightly.

“Did you have a good sleepover?” He asks her. 

Sadie giggles. “Yeah.” She says. “It was fun. Did you?” 

Scott smiles and tries not to blush. “It was good. We went to bed early.” He feels like he’s a teenager lying about his whereabouts to his mother. 

Sadie nods. “We should go camping more often.” She says. 

Scott huffs a laugh. “Yeah.” He says.

“With Emma and Tessa.” Sadie adds. 

Scott nods. “You read my mind.” 

Tessa finally emerges from her tent a while later, wrapped up in her parka with gloves on her hands. 

She meets Scott’s eye as she sits down beside Emma and blushes a beautiful shade of pink. 

“Did you have a good sleep, mum?” Emma asks, hanging her mother a plate of eggs. 

“Thanks, baby.” Tessa says softly. “Um yeah. It was… nice.”

Scott looks up from his oatmeal. _Nice_?

Tessa sees him staring and her face flushes even darker. “Incredibly nice.” She adds. “The best night’s sleep I’ve had in a very long time.” 

Scott leans back in his seat, satisfied, and Tessa shakes her head at him, trying her best not to laugh. 

“That’s good.” Emma says, and then out of nowhere she gives her mother a big hug. 

“Oh.” Tessa sighs, closing her eyes and holding Emma tightly. “What’s that for?” She asks. 

“Thanks for telling me about dad.” Emma says softly. 

“Oh, Em.” Tessa sighs, stroking her daughter’s hair. “I promise I’ll be better about it. I want you to know everything about him.” 

* * *

And Tessa means it. Over the next week she tells Emma a story about her dad every night before bed. Emma loves hearing what her mum and dad used to get up to. 

And as Tessa lays down for bed each night after telling her daughter about Henry, she touches his picture on her nightstand. “I love you.” She tells his picture in a whisper. “No matter what.” 

She’s been tossing and turning at night, unable to sleep soundly after having shared a bed with Scott. It had been so incredibly nice to be with him, wrapped in his warmth, feeling his heart beating and listening to the gentle sound of his breathing… And it’s hard not to think about the other things they did with each other … or _to_ each other. She can still hear the sound of him moaning, feel his deft hands touching her, his mouth upon her. 

She groans and covers her head with her pillow, but then quickly uncovers it and sits up in bed, grabbing Henry’s photo from beside her. 

“You’re not mad at me, are you?” She asks, and stares at his face, waiting on an answer that doesn’t come. “Talk to me. Please.” She says, and then laughs at herself. She sounds crazy but she continues anyway. “I’ve been telling Emma all about you. All about us.” She chews her lip. “I’m sorry it’s taken me so long, I’ve just had such a hard time until…” She trails off, squinting at his photo as if his expression might change. She takes a deep breath. “Scott helped me so much, Hen.” She says. “I needed someone to push me a little.” 

She takes a shaky breath. “I just want you to know that I always love you. And Emma will always love you and I promise I’ll let her know everything there is to know about you.” She touches his face with the tip of her finger. “Nobody’s ever going to take your place, Hen.” 

* * *

On Friday, Scott drops Sadie off to sleep over and Tessa tells them about the time she and Henry went skating too late in the spring. 

“The ice _broke?_ ” Emma asks in disbelief. “What kind of rink was it?” 

Tessa laughs. “No, honey, we were on a pond.” 

“Oh.” Emma says, thinking on it. She’s never skated on anything but rink ice. 

“We should go pond skating!” Sadie says excitedly. 

Tessa laughs. “It’s a bit too early in the season, but we could try for this winter.” 

Tessa kisses each of the girls on the head. “Night, babies.” She says softly, flicking off the light. 

“We’re not babies, mum.” Emma reminds her. 

Tessa smiles softly. “I know.” She says. “I love you both.” 

“Love you.” Sadie and Emma echo back as Tessa closes the door, satisfied that they’re safe and snug and know they’re loved. She heads to the kitchen and pours herself a glass of wine and digs the last of the chocolate ice cream out of the freezer before heading into her room. 

She’s about three seconds and two spoonfuls of ice cream into _Love, Actually_ when she hears a tapping sound. She mutes the television, expecting the girls are up to something when she hears it again, coming from outside. 

_Fuck._ She thinks to herself. It’s too bright in her room to see out of the windows but she’s terrified of what might be out there so she dives off her bed and onto her rug and starts army crawling for the door so she can at least flip the light switch and get a better handle on the situation. Then her phone rings and she’s close enough where she can just grab it off her nightstand. 

“Scott?” She whispers, afraid the possible imminent intruder will hear her. 

“Tess, what are you doing? It’s just me.” 

“Wh-… Scott you can’t just sneak up on people like that.” She says, feeling herself relax. 

“Sorry, I just… Come to the window?” 

Tessa sighs and hangs up, tossing her phone on the bed and heading over to one of her windows where she can see Scott’s figure. She opens the storm as well as the screen and leans out to see him holding a bouquet of flowers - peonies and daisies. An eclectic mix, but Tessa knows full well that daisies are Emma’s favourite flower. 

“What are you doing?” She laughs. 

He smiles sheepishly. “Sorry.” He says. “I was going more for a Romeo and Juliet thing versus burglar and unsuspecting victim.” 

“That’s very stupid.” Tessa shakes her head but with a twinkle in her eye she adds, “And very sweet.” 

Scott smiles and offers her the flowers. “I would quote Romeo here if I remembered what he said. Something about Juliet being the sun, I think.” He winks at her. 

Tessa smiles softly and takes the flowers, leaning a bit lower so she can press a kiss to his lips. 

“Mh.” Scott hums. “Tempt not a desperate man.” 

Tessa beams. “You do remember it.” 

Scott chuckles and nods. “What can I say? It’s a classic.” 

Tessa steps back. “Come in?” She asks, trying not to seem as desperate as she feels, but she misses him and the girls are snug in their beds and when do they _ever_ have time for themselves? 

Scott smiles softly. “What the lady wants.” He says, hoisting himself up and through the window but loosing his balance slightly and tumbling through. 

Tessa giggles as he ends up on the floor. 

“The lady gets.” He says, smiling up at her goofily, his hair flopping every which way. 

She places her index finger to her mouth. “I _just_ got them in bed. Plus, that’s not a quote.” She says, because he’s said it with an accent like it might be.

He pulls himself up from off the floor and takes her in his arms, the flowers between them. He presses his forehead to hers. “The lady doth protest too much, methinks.” He says, kissing her nose. 

She giggles and pushes at his chest. “That’s Hamlet.”

“I bet you were a huge nerd, weren’t you?” Scott says, grinning at her. 

Tessa scoffs at him, but he lifts her suddenly, his hands on the backs of her thighs so that she has to hold his shoulders and wrap her legs around his hips to keep her balance. It takes her breath away, the ease with which he does it. “Huge. Nerd.” He says, spinning her around until she has to laugh and then pressing her up against the wall. “I bet you were too.” She says, half breathless as he pins her there securely. 

He shakes his head. “I was a dumb jock.” 

Tessa cocks her head, looking down at him. She strokes her fingers through his hair and lets them run over his cheek. “You’re anything but dumb.” She says. “I’m a nerd, I would know.” 

Scott smiles like she’s made his day (she has, in fact), and he leans in over the flowers to kiss her. 

They feel like teenagers, hiding their relationship from their parents, sneaking into each other’s rooms, kissing in secret. 

“You look so pretty holding those.” He says to her, grinning. 

Tessa blushes. “Thank you for them. They’re beautiful.” 

He kisses her again. “I couldn’t stop thinking about you all week.” Scott admits when they part for air. 

Tessa smiles shyly. “Me either.” 

“Yeah?” He asks, grinning. “Thinking about what a good sleep you had?” 

Tessa runs her hands up his neck and into his hair and nods. 

“Mhm.” He says, lowering his head to kiss her neck. “So restful.” He jokes as he kisses his way up the column of her neck gently, his tongue giving her goosebumps. She squirms slightly and he chuckles. “That’s rest _less._ ” He says, grinning up at her. 

She takes his face in his hands and dips her head, kissing him deeply. “Help me, then.” She whispers against his lips when she pulls away. 

“Mh.” He grunts, pressing her harder into the wall. She can feel his cock now, rigid against her and she rolls her hips just to feel the full length of him. 

He watches the way her tongue darts across her lips and has a flashback to last weekend. “Fuck.” He breathes and presses his lips back to hers. 

He turns blindly and carries her over to the bed, tossing her down like he’d done the other day. She giggles but reaches for him. “Come back.” She says, the flowers laying beside her as she reaches for him. 

“Say the Wherefore art thou thing.” He says, grinning. 

Tessa throws her head back laughing. “You’re insane.” He kneels down at the foot of the bed and kisses her foot. “But I make a huge nerd really happy, don’t I?” 

Tessa props herself up with her elbows, smiling unabashedly. He certainly does. “Do you know she’s not actually asking _where_ Romeo is?” Tessa challenges him. “She’s asking why he has to _be_ Romeo, why she couldn’t have fallen for someone who she was allowed to love.” 

“Hm.” Scott says, considering this. He runs a hand down the smooth skin of her foot. 

“What?” She asks, squirming slightly at his touch and the way it’s so gentle that it actually tickles her. 

“Well, first of all you’re a huge nerd. I feel like I should point that out again.” Tessa rolls her eyes. 

“But honestly maybe that’s more accurate for our situation.” He says. 

“Mh.” Tessa hums. “And what exactly _is_ our situation?” 

Scott looks up from where he’s teasing her foot. 

“Well…” Scott says, feeling like his heart’s leapt up into his throat. 

“I just mean with the girls.” Tessa says quickly, feeling like maybe she’s startled him and half afraid he’ll say something that disappoints her. 

“Oh.” He says, disappointed that she doesn’t actually want to talk about _them._

“Tess…” He says, climbing onto the bed and laying himself directly on top of her. He nuzzles her cheek before kissing her there. “I think they might have an idea.” 

“They don’t.” She says, surely, shaking her head. “Emma would have said something.” 

Scott’s lips find the soft spot behind Tessa’s ear and he begins to kiss her there. “Would it be the worst thing If we told them? I-“ He begins to say against her skin.

“I just think… I _just_ started telling Em more about her dad. I don’t know if it’s the best timing.” Tessa interrupts. 

Scott continues kissing her, sucking on her skin every so often until she shudders. “It’s your call.” He whispers against her and then runs a hand up the front of her neck to her chin where he directs her face toward him. “As long as I get to keep doing this.” He presses his lips to hers for a deep kiss and rolls his hips against her center until her hands grip his shirt. “I’m good.” He pulls back breathlessly and Tessa pushes herself up, following after him, chasing his lips, but he’s too far away so she sits up and fiddles with the buttons of his shirt restlessly. He watches her. 

“Are you sure?” She asks. 

He smiles gently. “Hey.” He says softly, stilling her hand and holding it until she looks up at him. 

“I’m not going anywhere, Tess.” He smiles melancholically thinking of how Sadie is so similar, always worrying about people leaving because she feels like she’s not enough. “I’ll be whatever you want. I’ll _do_ whatever you want.” 

Tessa smiles gently. “Whatever I want?” She asks. 

Scott smirks at her and nods. “Whatever you want.” He repeats. “What _do_ you want?” 

Tessa thinks for a moment. It could be an extremely complicated question but she chooses not to make it so. What she wants long term is a conversation for another time. Right now, they’re alone _together,_ and she wants to make the most of it. 

“I want you to touch me.” She says. 

All the one sided conversations she’s had with Henry’s picture this week have added up to the same answer - She needs to work through a bit of guilt surrounding the feelings part of she and Scott’s relationship. But she’s decided sex doesn’t have to be _emotional_. And if it means nothing then it’s not significant and it’s nothing to feel guilty about. It’s not like they’re _making love_ , it’s just sex. She thinks Henry would understand that. 

But then there’s the way Scott strips her down and looks at her like she’s some marble statue. He caresses her so softly she forgets for a moment how to breathe. He worships her body from head to toe, kissing his way down one side and up the other before spreading her open and laving long, slow strokes of his tongue through her cunt until she has tears in her eyes. 

“Scott.” She chokes, her hands knotted in his hair. He pauses his ministrations and looks up at her, his dark hazel eyes searching hers. But her voice is stuck in her throat because there’s too much she wants to say all at once, and it’s like everything gets trapped in a bottleneck so that nothing comes out at all. It doesn’t feel emotionless. It doesn’t feel like it means nothing. It doesn’t feel like it isn’t love. 

Scott gives her a sweet smile that makes her feel like nothing could ever hurt her again as he begins to slowly suck on her clit, his hand snaking up her belly all the way to her breast where he teases her nipple. She releases a hand from his hair and it snaps right to his hand like a magnet, holding it to her breast. 

He glances up at her, his face flushed and hair messy as his tongue circles her maddeningly before he burying his face between her legs, his tongue stroking inside of her as he takes all of her in at once. He moans lowly, carnally, and his whole body seems to vibrate against hers until she realises it’s just her, her legs around his head, trembling like a leaf as she grips his hand as tightly as she can with one hand and the bed sheets with the other, turning her head and biting into a pillow as she comes, unable to completely muffle the sob of pleasure that erupts from her. She can’t imagine how she went so long without this feeling. And she knows it’s not just what he’s doing to her _physical_ being. That’s the hardest thing to admit. 

He stays between her legs even after she comes, tears trickling down her cheeks. It’s like her whole world faded away for a moment and all she could feel was him and it felt _so_ good that she knows she’ll never be able to do without it, and the thought that he might not feel the same way terrifies her as much as the guilt and fear that Emma and Sadie might not accept it either. 

He keeps his tongue buried inside her, sucking her clit hard until she comes again. This time it’s so intense that she just bursts out crying. 

It hardly takes him a moment to pull her into his arms. “Shh.” He whispers, kissing her forehead. “Tess, shh, it’s alright.” He says, rubbing her back. He’s hard as steel, pressing into her stomach, but he doesn’t seem to care at the moment, his complete attention devoted to her emotional state. 

“Hey, it’s ok.” He says. “We can stop.” He says, a worried look on his face. “Was that too much?” 

She shakes her head quickly and he strokes her hair. “You’re ok?” He asks, needing to make sure. 

“So good.” She says, her voice breaking. “It felt _so_ good, Scott.” 

He smiles softly and kisses her cheek. He thinks he understands. She certainly makes him feel things as intensely, and it can be scary. He feels the words bubble up, perch on the tip of his tongue. “Tess.” He sighs, working up the courage. He thinks that maybe she feels the same way. “Tess, I-“ He begins to say softly to her, but before he can get the words out, she’s pushing herself out of his arms and kissing her way down his chest and between his legs. He chokes on the words when she takes his cock into her mouth, her tongue swirling around the tip before she sucks him in deep, reveling in the taste of him mixed with the salt of the tears he’d drawn from her. 

“Ah. Tess.” He hisses as she draws him in and then lets him pop from her lips loudly before taking him right back in. And then she plays with him, lapping her tongue down his shaft, sucking gently when she feels like it, when she wants to make him hiss or moan. She rakes her nails over his balls, forcing his cock to twitch, bob up and down in front of her and he just looks so delicious that she takes him back into her mouth immediately at the sight and he sounds just as wrecked as she had, which she finds consolation in. He can’t decide whether to keep his eyes on her or not. She’s gorgeous, her green eyes sparkling and mischievous, her cheeks flushed from the effort and the tears, her whole body taught and moving so fluidly with her movements. On one hand, she’s all he wants to look at ever again and on the other he wants to shut his eyes so he doesn’t see any of it just to make it last a little longer because the sight of her is enough to make him feel like he’s going to burst. In the end he just can’t bring himself not to watch her. He can’t justify losing out on the sight of her _looking_ at his cock the way she does or running her hand over his chest like he’s some greek god or something. He’s never been with a woman who’s met the prospect of his naked form with such enthusiasm, such longing, as Tessa. It doesn’t take much after that and she’s so eager to taste him again. A twist of her hand on his shaft with his tip just inside her lips and he’s done for. Though the ease of it takes her by surprise and she finds herself leaning back, watching him coat first herself - her breasts - in his thick white come, and then his own stomach as she strokes him, lowering her mouth back down so she can catch the very last of it on her tongue and savour the taste of him before she goes about licking up the mess from his stomach as she’d done before. 

He’s shaking, his hands on his head and his eyes screwed shut tightly as she does this. He can hardly take the feeling of her lips on him. He knows the sight of her covered in his come, cleaning him up will ruin whatever hopes he has of ever coming without thinking about her ever again but he can’t help himself. He doesn’t want to. He opens his eyes and watches her, her eyes are closed as if she’s in utter bliss. He can feel how wet she is where she’s pressed against him, straddling his leg and when he reaches out to stroke her cheek she turns her head and takes his finger into his mouth, sucking hard, her hand stroking his cock and he thinks for a moment that he’s blacked out before he realises that he’s come again, less this time, but just as intensely, in her hand. He watches her clean her hand off before pulling her down beside him and kissing her madly. He can’t believe she’s real. 

His hand slips between her thighs and runs through her soaking wet center. She whimpers into his mouth as he fondles her, teasing her at first before letting his fingers slip inside of her to draw another orgasm from her. She quivers against him, her whole body throbbing, but he doesn’t stop. 

“Scott-“ She breathes. 

“One more.” He demands. He needs it. He needs her to. She needs to know he wants her to have everything. 

He sweeps his thumb over her clit. “I-“ She squeaks, trying her best to keep quiet. “I - I…” and when he slips a third finger inside of her, her whole body sighs and it’s like she’s melted. “Ohh.” She moans into his shoulder, tucking her head there so he won’t see how fucking wrecked she is, though it’s really no use because she’s clinging to him like her life depends on it and she’s absolutely soaked his hand. 

“Oh.” She sighs again as she comes hard around him. And his whole body relaxes along with hers. He cleans his hand off, reveling in the taste of her arousal once more and then he takes her into his arms and strokes her hair, holding her to his chest. Neither of them speaks - there’s too much to say so they say none of it. 

And when Tessa’s satisfied that nothing will be said, and Scott accepts it for her sake, they fill the silence with soft kisses instead until they fall asleep nestled against one another. 

It’s not until nearly five in the morning that Scott wakes up desperately needing to pee. 

He’s careful as anything not to wake Tessa as he slides his arms from her. She stirs, seems slightly disgruntled and wrinkles her nose, which Scott thinks is one of the cutest things he’s ever seen, before he slips on his boxers and begins to tip toe down the hall. It’s pitch dark but knows he’s nearly to the bathroom at the end of the hall. But just before he reaches it, he walks into something and suddenly there’s a loud scream. “TESSAAAAA!” 

* * *

* * *

* * *

“Sadie! Sadie, it’s me.” Scott says, quickly recognising his daughter’s voice, but it’s too late. Tessa and Emma come barreling out of their respective rooms, Tessa pulling her robe on as she flicks on the light and Emma with her hair mussed and wild from sleep. 

Sadie looks up at the frightening figure she’d bumped into in the dark and realises it’s just her dad… in nothing but his boxers. 

“Daddy?” She asks, confused. She’d just been heading back to bed after having used the bathroom. She looks past him at Tessa, who has her hand on her heart. Relieved that something awful hadn’t happened. 

Emma just looks between Scott and her mother, completely baffled. She’s not entirely sure she’s actually awake.

“It’s ok.” Scott says softly, as if there’s anyone else around they might wake up. He ruffles her hair. “Just me, kiddo.” 

He looks back at Tessa, an apologetic look on his face and she shrugs. Not much they can do about it now. 

“Why are you here, daddy?” Sadie asks, and then giggles slightly, “And in your underwear?” 

Emma squints her eyes at her mother as if to say _I’m on to you._

Tessa’s cheeks flush. “Um, as long as everyone’s up, why don’t we have some hot cocoa and maybe, Em, you and Sadie can give Scott and I a moment? We’ll make the hot cocoa and meet you in the playroom, how’s that?” 

Emma nods slowly, thinking, _They better have a veeeery good explanation._

Emma takes Sadie’s hand and the two of them pad softly downstairs to the playroom where Scott and Tessa can hear them giggling as soon as the girls think they’re out of earshot. 

Scott runs a hand over his face. “Fuck. I’m so sorry, Tess. I didn’t think…” 

Tessa waves him off. “It’s ok.” She says, though he’s not sure he totally believes her. “Come help me with the cocoa after you get dressed.” Is all she says, turning and leaving him there in the hallway feeling like a complete idiot. 

Tessa puts a kettle on and sits herself at the breakfast counter exhaling deeply and smoothing her hair back out of her face. God, she hopes she looks alright - for the girls sakes as much as Scott’s. He’d really taken everything out of her last night and she’d slept sounder than she can remember in all her life save for that one time Jordan looked after Emma shortly after she was born. 

Scott joins her in the kitchen in the clothes he’d worn yesterday and Tessa sighs. This is going to be interesting. 

“Tess.” He says carefully, “I am so, so sorry.” 

She shakes her head. 

“No, just - just hear me out.” He says, trying his best to find the words. “I -“ 

“I don’t want to be Romeo and Juliet.” Tessa blurts out. 

“Oh.” Scott says quietly. 

“No, I mean-“ 

“Mum!” Emma calls up from the playroom. 

“We’ll be right down, Em!” Tessa calls back. 

“No, come quick!” Emma says, and she and Scott exchange glances as if to say, _what else could go wrong?_

They hurry to the playroom where Emma and Sadie are sitting on the floor in front of the television. “Look what I found.” Emma says, pointing at the T.V. It’s the box of videos Tessa had dug out of storage just the other night. They’re home videos, ones she hasn’t watched in ages because she felt they’d be too painful. She’d been working herself up to showing Emma but just hadn’t had the courage yet to do it. Tessa shuts her eyes tightly as she sees Henry on screen. 

“Is that dad?” Emma asks, turning to her mum. Scott sets a hand on Tessa’s back and sees the look on her face. “Uh, hey guys, I don’t know if this is the best time-“ 

But Tessa shakes her head slightly. “It’s ok.” She says softly and then forces a smile. “Yeah, honey, that’s your daddy.” She says. “I just found these the other day and have been meaning to show you.” 

Emma turns back to the television, her eyes wide, just as the sound cuts on. 

“Look at this girl. Look how beautiful she is” Henry’s saying to the camera. Tessa’s laughing in the background. “You know how many times I asked her to marry me? How many times? He says to Tessa, who waves him off. 

He’s in a red t-shirt and jeans and Tessa’s in a green dress with delicate little pink flowers sewn into the pattern. She’s clearly pregnant - seven months, if she remembers correctly. She feels her heart in her throat, and her eyes begin to sting. She’s only seen this video once - it was all she could bear and she’d been too afraid to come back to it. Last time she’d watched it was a day after Henry died and just over a week before Emma had been born. It’s Emma’s baby shower. 

In the video, Henry wraps his arms around her from behind. “How many times, baby? Tell them.” She shakes her head, her face red. 

“Eight times.” Henry exclaims. “Eight. Count ‘em” He shows his fingers and then lets go of her and shrugs and takes the camera. “And tell me your reasoning again, Tess.” 

Tessa rolls her eyes. “Because we’re too young, Hen.” He turns the camera to his face. “Too young.” He nods. “And yet.” He turns the camera back to Tessa and focuses it on her stomach, which she covers protectively with her hand. 

“That’s our baby girl.” Henry says proudly from behind the camera, placing his hand over Tessa’s.“What’s her name, babe?” He asks, pointing the camera up at Tessa’s face. 

“Jennifer.” Tessa says, and Emma flings her head back to look at her mother, confusedly. All Tessa can do in the moment is shake her head and point back at the television.

Henry turns the camera back to him to shake his head, quickly angling it back to Tessa who gives him a look. “What?” She says. “It’s a beautiful name.” 

“Let the record show I do not endorse Jennifer.” He says, grinning. 

Someone takes the camera from Henry and he sits beside Tessa, wrapping an arm around her and kissing her cheek. 

“What’s _your_ name?” Someone behind the camera asks. 

“I vote Petunia.” Henry says, and Tessa shakes her head. “I will not let you name our daughter Petunia.” 

Scott finds this hard to watch for a number of reasons. Firstly, though, the fact that he can feel how tense Tessa is beside him. He runs his hand across her back, but she doesn’t move. Not an inch. She can’t or she knows she’ll cry and she doesn’t want anyone here to see that. 

“We have a working list.” Henry informs the camera. “ _We_ don’t.” Tessa clarifies. “ _You_ do.” 

Henry shrugs. “ _I_ do.” He says. 

Tessa turns to talk to someone and you can see the bracelet on her wrist. The delicate golden chain with the figure skating charm.

Scott smiles gently as he remembers how frantic she’d been when she’d thought she’d lost it. She looks so very young in the video. He knew she had to be young when she’d had Emma, she’s two years younger than he is and he’d been young when Sadie’d been born, but she looks even younger than he’d pictured in his head. And to see her pregnant is something else too. He’d pictured it in his head once or twice just out of pure amusement, but she looked even cuter than he’d imagined. She’s still just as beautiful as she is now, with her summer freckles and her dark hair framing her face, her glimmering green eyes and her perfect pink lips. But her face is slightly fuller in the video. He’s not sure if it’s the fact that she’s pregnant or if it’s the fact that she’s so young, but it’s more reminiscent of a teenager than of the woman he knows her to be now. Then he imagines her, so young, all on her own, nearly about to give birth as she grieves the man she thought she was going to spend the rest of her life with and it brings a lump to his throat. He wraps an arm around her shoulder and pulls her close, despite the fact that the girls are right there, and Tessa doesn’t protest, she leans against him, thankful for his support. 

“How about Patrick?” Henry asks goofily, and Tessa swats at him. “My middle name.” He says to the camera like it’s a secret.

“Hey.” Emma says. “My middle name is Patricia. That’s like Patrick.” She looks back at her mother who nods, tears in her eyes. God, this video is hard to watch. 

“Connie? Lincoln? Greta?” Henry asks, rapid-fire style. Tessa’s all but ignoring him now, busying herself with a fuzzy teddy bear that must’ve been a gift. 

“I feel like Tess gets to choose since you’re dipping out on that trip next month and leaving her all high and dry.” Comes the voice behind the camera. Emma thinks it might be her auntie Jordan. 

Tessa turns to Henry and places a hand on his leg and he looks at her apologetically. “It’s a work thing.” He says. “I’m trying to get out of it.” He’s looking at Tessa the entire time, though he’s talking to the person behind the camera. Tessa squeezes his thigh. She knows how guilty he feels about it. 

“Better watch out someone doesn’t snap her up while you’re gone.” One of their guy friends jokes from beside the sofa. Tessa rolls her eyes at him, but Henry smiles softly. “As long as she’s happy, I’m happy.” He says. 

It hits Tessa now, as she stands there next to Scott, and Scott can tell. He leans his head to the side, resting his cheek on the top of her head and turning slightly to steal a kiss on her forehead. Tessa blinks back tears. 

The video cuts out briefly and suddenly the backdrop is completely different. It looks to be in a hallway and Tessa’s mid frame. 

“Hi baby.” She says. “It’s your mummy.” She giggles. “Jord, this is weird.” She says. 

“Oh, just do it. You’ll thank me ten years from now.” Comes the voice of Emma’s aunt Jordan.

Tessa bites her lip. “It’s funny talking to you in the camera when you’re still inside me.” She says, placing a hand on her belly. “I’m so very excited to meet you. Your daddy and I love you so, so much already, baby girl. She chuckles. “We’re still working on a name for you, but don’t worry, I won’t let daddy choose.” She winks at the camera and Jordan laughs. “I promise daddy and I are going to love you forever and ever.” Tessa says softly and Emma finds herself getting emotional. She blinks back tears of her own and wipes at her eyes lest anyone see her tears. 

The video cuts out and when it cuts back, Henry’s on screen. 

“Hey, sweetheart.” He says, “It’s daddy. I’m so excited to meet you.” He smiles. “I love you so much already.” He sighs. “I think your mum gets sick of me talking to her belly all the time, but I just want you to know my voice so that you recognise me.” He laughs. “It sounds silly but I’m a little jealous that your mum gets to know you so well - gets to spend so much time with you, feel you kick and move around and I have to wait. But don’t worry, I’m patient.” He says, and Jordan laughs. “No you’re not.” She says. “Hey this is my video” He jokes, grinning at Jordan before redirecting his attention to the camera. “Anyway,” He says, “I want you to know how lucky you are to have your mummy, too. I mean - you’re lucky to have me, obviously, ‘cause I’m awesome.” Jordan scoffs, “So humble. 

Henry smiles. “But your mum is amazing and… from the moment we found out you were coming her whole life’s been about you. I just want you to know that. And we’re lucky too of course, because you chose us. I’m still workshopping names. You’re mum’s not really budging but I have one left up my sleeve that I’m saving for your birthday. Sort of a hail Mary shot. Your mum’s always been a sucker for those.” He laughs at the camera. 

“Oh what is it?” Jordan asks. 

Henry shakes his head. “Can’t tell ya.” 

“Oh come on.” Jordan says. “Nobody’s going to see this for years.” 

Henry laughs. “It’s not the video I’m worried about.” He smirks. 

“Oh, I’m not going to tell, come on, tell me.” 

Henry sighs. “Alright. fine.” 

Jordan lowers the camera, like she’s forgotten it’s recording. It’s focused on the floor as you hear the smallest bit of a whisper from Henry. “Emma.” He says, and the video cuts out. 


	14. How 'Bout That Ice Cream?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading this story, I really enjoyed writing it :)  
> Happy Holidays everyone <3

Tessa blinks her tears away as best she can, but it’s hard. That’s the first time Emma’s heard her father say her name. It’s only the second time Tessa’s heard him say it. He never got to tell her it in person, he’d died before he got the chance. Jordan had been the one to convince her to watch the tape the day after he’d died. Tessa had bawled nonstop for what felt like ages afterward. She loved the name. She wished he could’ve told her himself. She can only imagine the look in his eye when she’d agree to the name, told him she loved it as much as he did. She wishes he got to see Emma, wishes he got to know her _as_ Emma, wishes he got to see the ways she looks like him, the ways she acts like him. But he doesn’t. So Tessa gave Emma his names, the only thing he’d ever been able to give his daughter. She’d carried them with her her whole life not knowing they were from her father until now, and Tessa suddenly feels like it was a huge mistake. She should have been telling Emma these things her whole life. 

Tessa cups a hand over her mouth and tries to stifle a sob.

“Mum?” Emma asks worriedly. 

Sadie looks on with wide eyes. “Tessa?” She says quietly. 

Scott pulls her into his arms, cradles her head. She tucks into his neck and tries her best to cry quietly so as not to upset the girls. 

“I’m sorry.” She says weakly. 

But she feels a little hand pulling at her robe. “Mumma.” It’s Emma. “Mumma, it’s ok to be sad.” She says. “It’s a sad thing.” She repeats what Scott had told her because she believes it to be true. “It’s ok, mumma. Daddy loved you and he loved me. But now _I_ love you and Sadie loves you and Scott loves you.” 

Scott strokes her hair and Tessa lifts her head, looking down at Emma. “Oh, come here.” She says softly, and she reaches down and lifts Emma up into her arms, hugging her tightly. “I love you so much.” She says. 

Sadie comes over and hugs Tessa around the leg. “Oh.” Tessa sighs, stroking Sadie’s hair. “Thank you, baby.” She whispers. 

Scott smiles softly at the term of endearment but he feels slightly uneasy now after seeing the video. Tessa had had a whole other life, she’d been happy and content and he feels like maybe he’s just adding more stress and pressure than she needs right now. 

He takes a step back. “Sadie.” He says softly, “Maybe we should let Em and Tess have some time alone.” 

Tessa looks up at him and he gives her a weak smile. “It’s ok.” He says softly, holding his hand out to Sadie. “We’ll see you at the rink later, yeah?” 

Tessa hesitates. She doesn’t want him to leave. She doesn’t want either of them to leave, but she understands that this is probably too much for him and she feels embarrassed so she nods. 

Sadie and Emma exchange worried looks, but Sadie takes her father’s hand and lets him lead her upstairs. 

“Go get your stuff, yeah?” He says, stroking Sadie’s hair. Sadie nods and goes into Emma’s room to pack up her bag. Scott cleans the kitchen, pouring the now tepid water in the kettle down the drain and setting it out to dry.

“Mum.” Emma says quietly, her head resting on her mother’s shoulder. 

“Em.” She says, “I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you about daddy sooner.” 

“That’s ok.” Emma says. "I'm really glad I got to see that video."

Tessa nods. "Me too. We'll watch all of them together, I promise." She says. " And I’m sorry about you and Sadie seeing Scott and I this morning… we didn’t mean for that to happen.” 

Emma raises her head and looks at her mother. “Are you and Scott boyfriend and girlfriend?” She asks.

Tessa swallows nervously. She’s not going to hide the truth from her daughter any longer, but she’s not quite sure what she and Scott are. 

“We’re… I don’t know.” She manages. 

Emma furrows her brow. “Do you like him?” 

Tessa nods. 

“Do you go on dates?” 

Tessa blushes but nods. 

“Did you kiss him?” Emma asks. 

Tessa winces. This seems like the wrong time to be talking about this, but she’s being honest. 

“I did.” She says, “And it doesn’t mean that I don’t love your-“ Tessa’s already in damage control mode, prepared to talk Emma down, telling her that she still loves her father, but Emma lets out an excited squeal and squeezes Tessa into a tight hug. 

“Em?” Tessa asks, confused. 

Emma pulls back, beaming and claps her hands. “We _knew_ it!” She chirps happily. 

“You and… Sadie?” Tessa asks. 

Emma nods excitedly. 

“And that makes you… happy?” Tessa asks, needing to clarify. 

Emma nods vehemently, “Because you and Scott make each other happy.” She says. “Plus I think Scott is a lot of fun, and Sadie likes you a lot too.” 

Tessa lets out a quick giggle that turns into a longer, extended giggle, that turns into a full blown laugh. 

“Mum, what’s funny?” Emma asks. 

“We just… we went through so much work to… to make sure you two wouldn’t know until we were sure because… we just thought you’d be upset about it.” 

Emma grins and laughs along with her mother too because adults are _crazy._

“What’s funny?” They hear from the top of the stairs - it’s Sadie, and then they hear Scott’s voice, “Sadie, we’re going!” 

“Wait!” Emma calls, and Tessa lets her down. She scrambles up the stairs to her best friend and takes her by the hand, “Come with me, you’re not going to _believe_ this.” She says, pulling Sadie back to her room. 

Tessa climbs the stairs to see Scott standing there, utterly confused and looking very concerned. “Are you alright?” He asks, taking a step forward. 

Tessa nods, walking toward him as well, opening her arms and letting him sweep her into a tight hug. 

“I’m sorry that wasn’t on your terms.” Scott whispers to her. 

“My terms _suck_.” She mumbles against his shoulder, and he laughs. 

Tessa raises her head and kisses him deeply. She can feel the surprise written across his face. 

“I thought you didn’t want to be Romeo and Juliet.” He says somewhat sadly when she pulls away. 

She shakes her head. “I don’t. They hide so much that it kills each other.” 

Scott smiles slightly. “So you want..." 

"Us." She says. "Tessa and Scott." 

“And the girls?" He asks, already beaming. 

“They know. I think they always knew.” She says. 

Scott pulls her back into his arms. “They’re too smart for us.” Tessa nods. 

“I _do_ love you, do you know that?” He asks. 

Tessa smiles against his arm, tears pricking her eyes once more. “I know.” She says. “I love you too.” It had felt so scary in the dark, but saying it aloud feels like the most natural thing in the world. 

“I know it’s not ever going to be the same, I know that.” Scott says, stroking her hair. 

Tessa shakes her head. “It’s not going to be the same, Scott. But i don’t want it to be.” 

Scott looks down and meets her gaze. 

“I loved him. And I loved what we had but Scott, what _we_ have is beautiful too. It’s different, but just as beautiful. And you’re here _now_. And I can touch you and you can hold me...”

Scott nods, squeezing her tightly. He pressed his face into the crook of her neck and Tessa’s hand grips the back of his head. 

“I don’t want it to be the same.” She says again. “Because I want _you_... does that make sense?” She’s not sure she’s explaining herself correctly. “I love him so much and I always will but I feel that way about _you_ too.”

Scott nods, his eyes beginning to sting. 

“And you’re here.”

“I’m here.” He nods again, echoing her. “I’m here. I’m here.”

He hugs her tightly, lifting her off the ground and spinning her until she giggles through the tears she hadn’t even realised she’d begun to cry. 

“Come here” he says, taking her face in his hands. He strokes her cheeks with the pads of his thumbs and kisses her nose. “I love you so much, Tess.” He says softly. 

“Eeeew!” They hear the girls exclaim from the end of the hall. They hadn’t heard Emma’s door open. It’s not the first time their little mischief makers have barged in on a moment, and they’re both quite certain it won’t be the last. The girls are beaming and giggling to themselves. 

“Get over here!” Scott growls playfully and lunges toward them. They scatter and giggle wildly and Tessa’s heart feels fuller than ever. 

* * *

* * *

* * *

A year later, Emma and Sadie are still in girl scouts, only things are a bit different. Scott still picks the girls up, but instead of bringing Emma over to _his_ house, they go back to _their_ house. They still make dinner and wait for Tessa to come home, and when she does she gives each of them a kiss, Sadie, Emma, and Scott, and they have dinner together before helping the girls with homework or snuggling on the sofa. 

Tessa and Scott put the girls to bed (in separate rooms, otherwise they’d be up all night talking), and then head to their own room (shared because, duh). Emma wears the bracelet her father gave her on her wrist proudly, even though she’s not crazy about the figure skate charm. She does give it back to her mum every once in a while because she knows she likes to wear it as well. Tessa had gotten Sadie a bracelet that looks just like it but with a pink figure skate charm and Sadie wears it every day, smiling every time she looks at it because Tessa got it special for her. 

* * *

It’s the day of the annual father daughter dance, and they’ve already gone and gotten new dresses, following their same tradition as last year. Sadie and Tessa have had their nails done, and Scott’s driving Emma back from hockey practice that morning. 

“Hey, Em?” He asks, looking back at the little girl he now considers to be his daughter. 

Emma looks up at him. 

“I have something I want to do tonight, and I want your opinion, and I think I might need your help to pull it off.” 

Emma’s face lights up. That’s her favourite way to start a conversation. 

Tessa and Scott been talking about marriage for some time, but neither felt any need to rush things. Neither of them was going anywhere and they basically functioned like they were married as it were, but they had talked to the girls about the idea, and both of them had been thrilled at the prospect for a number of reasons: 

  1. It would make their parents happy
  2. They loved each other’s parents as their own
  3. It meant they were right all along about the fact their parents should be together



And so they were waiting patiently... and sometimes not so patiently for Scott to propose. 

“I bet he’s going to do it tonight.” Emma whispers to Sadie as she lugs her hockey bag past her in the hallway. 

Sadie raises her eyebrows. “Why?” She whispers. 

Emma pulls her hand across her lips as if to _zip_ them. “Can’t tell.” She says. “It’s a secret.” 

“Oh, come on!” Sadie says. 

Emma giggles. “Oh, alright.” She says, motioning for Sadie to follow her to her room. She’s never been any good at keeping secrets. 

* * *

The dance is much the same as last year, the girls mostly out dancing on their own, until the DJ plays a slow song and Tessa and Scott join their girls for a dance. Tessa’s the only mum there, but she’s used to it and Emma doesn’t seem to mind. 

This year, though, the girls notice their parents talking at their table before the last dance. Tessa looks emotional and Scott’s smiling really widely. 

“Did he do it?” Emma asks, squinting and scowling. She’ll be mad if she doesn’t get to be a part of it. The girls hurry over to their parents table to see what’s going on. 

“Hey, guys.” Scott says as the girls approach. 

“Did you get married?” Sadie asks, and Emma elbows her. 

“That’s not how it works.” She whispers. “You have to be _engaged_ first.” 

“Oh.” Sadie says, nodding and then looking back up at their parents. “Did you get engaged?” 

Tessa chuckles. “No.” She says, “Don’t worry, you two would be the first to know… probably before we’d even have the chance to tell you.” She winks at the girls who giggle. 

“We were wondering if maybe - if this sounds ok to you girls, if Sadie, you’d like to dance with me and Emma, you’d like to dance with Scott.” 

The girls look at one another happily and nod. 

For the last dance, Emma and Scott head out to the floor hand in hand, and Sadie and Tessa follow behind them.

“Em.” Scott says softly after they’ve danced in silence for a minute, “I know I’m never going to replace your daddy. I would never try to. I want you to know that.” 

Emma just looks up at him and blinks, trying to decipher what’s going on.

“But I want you to know that I think of you as a daughter. And there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you or your mum.” 

Emma smiles. 

“And I have one more thing I want to ask you.” 

Emma cocks her head, swaying along with the music. 

“I want your permission - because I’m only going to do this if I have your permission, yours and Sadie’s, toask your mother to marry me. So we would be a family.” 

Emma grins so wide her cheeks hurt. She jumps up and down, holding Scott’s hands and then jumps into his arms and allows him to hug her tightly, nodding against his chest. 

It brings tears to Scott’s eyes. 

But then she pulls back, “Wait.” She says, her face dropping. 

Scott raises his eyebrow nervously.

“Will you still be my hockey coach?” Emma asks. 

Scott laughs and pulls her back into a hug. “Yeah, kiddo.” He laughs, “I’ll still be your coach.” 

“Cool.” Emma sighs. 

“Hey, speaking of hockey…” Scott says, scooping Emma up into his arms. “I got you something.” He pulls a velvet box out of his pocket and sets it into Emma’s hands. 

She looks up at him and he nods, waiting for her to open it. 

She does, slowly, her eyes glowing with excitement, and when she sees it she hugs Scott around the neck so tightly he thinks he might choke to death. 

“Thank you.” Emma says softly into his ear. “Thank you, Scott.” 

Scott can’t speak or he knows he’ll cry so he turns his head and plants a kiss on Emma’s cheek. 

“I love you, Em.” He tells her when he can manage it. 

* * *

“I love dancing with you.” Sadie says to Tessa. She’s all but hugging Tessa around the waist, her cheek pressed into Tessa’s stomach, and it’s the sweetest thing. 

“I love dancing with you too, Sades.” Tessa says softly, running a hand through Sadie’s hair. 

Sadie’s quiet for a moment, thinking back on what her father had talked to her about earlier when they were alone. She’s not supposed to say anything, but she wants to. She’s so excited.

“Tessa?” She says. 

Tessa looks down at Sadie. “What, honey?” She asks. 

“I know you’re Emma’s mummy and… and I have a mummy but sometimes I feel like you’re my mummy too. Is that ok? I mean… if I call you that sometimes?” 

“Oh, Sadie.” Tessa sighs softly. She leans down and lifts her up into her arms hugging her tightly. “I would be honoured.” Tessa breathes, tears in her eyes. She holds the back of Sadie’s head and kisses her cheek. Sadie rests her head against Tessa’s. “I love you so much, baby.” Tessa says. 

* * *

After the dance, the small family head out to their car and the girls exchange glances wondering what’s going to happen. Or _if_ anything’s going to happen at all. 

Scott starts driving the little family home, but looks over at Tessa and takes her hand. “Should we get ice cream?” He asks. 

Tessa smiles and nods as excitedly as a child and Scott laughs. 

He changes course slightly and nobody suspects a thing until, instead of pulling up in front of the ice cream parlour, Scott pulls up to the arena. 

Tessa feels her heart begin to beat faster.

Scott smiles sheepishly at her. “Humour me?” He asks. 

She smiles softly and nods. _Always._

He holds her hand and the girls walk behind their parents into the empty rink. He takes them to section 15 row A and smiles at the girls. “This is where you two ran into each other for the first time.” He says. “And if it hadn’t been for you guys and, Em, your dad’s bracelet… and then a lot of scheming behind the scenes, we probably wouldn’t be here right now.” He takes a deep shaky breath and turns back to Tessa, looking deep into her eyes. 

“Well… uh…” He says, holding her shoulders. “The first thing I want to do is to thank Henry.” He says, and Tessa lets out a quick breath. “Because he took such good care of you.” He says to Tessa. “Because he loved you. And because he helped give us Em.” 

Scott glances over at Emma who’s smiling proudly. 

Tessa’s blinking back tears. 

“I… I kind of did this without your permission, Tess. I wanted it to be a surprise, and if you hate it, I made sure they could fix it so it’s back to normal but I just wanted you _and_ Emma to have a part of him… that you could wear at the same time.” He chuckles. “So I already gave Emma hers…” 

Tessa looks over at Emma who holds up her wrist, the same silver band her father had given her mother all those years ago still wrapped around her, but now with a hockey skate charm dangling from it instead of the figure skate. 

Tessa’s eyes grow wide and she turns back to Scott who’s holding out another little velvet box. He opens it for her and inside is a necklace, the chain delicate and silver with Henry’s figure skate charm at the apex. 

Tessa just stares. 

“Tess.” Scott says softly. “I’m really sorry if this was overstepping…” 

But Tessa shakes her head. She’s never seen Emma so happy to be wearing a piece of jewelry and she knows her daughter never liked the figure skating charm, and now they can _both_ have a piece of Henry to wear. “I love it.” She breathes, stepping forward and wrapping her arms around him, snuggling against his chest. “I love it.” She repeats. “I love _you_.” 

Scott blinks back tears, strokes Tessa’s hair. He’s so glad she likes it, so glad Emma likes it. 

“There’s one more thing.” He whispers to her softly, and she holds on tighter because she knows. 

Sadie reaches for Emma’s hand and they hold on tightly. They’re going to be _sisters_!

“Tess.” He says chuckling because he can’t quite get down on one knee with her wrapped around him the way she is. 

“Mh.” She hums against him. 

“ _Mum_.” Emma says, pulling her mother back to reality. 

“Oh.” She says, releasing Scott, who grins at her. 

He sinks down on one knee and pulls a final velvet box from his pocket, opening it to reveal a delicate ring that makes Tessa’s heart flutter.

“I’ve never known anyone as kind and caring and he glances over at the girls and then back at Tessa and holds his hand up so they can’t read his lips as he mouths _sexy,_ causing Tessa to giggle and the girls to look at each other confusedly. “And just…” He sighs. “You’re amazing, Tessa. And Emma,” He turns to her. “I love you to the moon and back, kiddo.” 

She smiles at him and he winks before turning back to Tessa. “Will you marry me, Tess?” He asks earnestly. 

There are tears in Tessa eyes, and her voice is scratchy. She looks over at Emma and Sadie who nod and grin "We already talked about it." Scott informs her sheepishly. And Tessa laughs and nods as she turns back to Scott. “Yes." She says breathlessly and watches as Scott slides the ring onto her finger before he's up and pulling her into his arms, kissing her deeply, and the girls are jumping up and down and running over to hug their parents. 

* * *

“Daddy?” Sadie says as they get in the car to drive home. 

Scott looks back at his daughter at the same time his hand is sliding up Tessa’s thigh. 

One of the girls at the dance mentioned something and now it’s just weighing on her mind and she realises nobody’s really answered this question before. 

“How does sex _work_?” She asks. 

Scott tenses up and Tessa bites back a laugh. 

“So how ‘bout that ice cream?” Scott asks puffing out his cheeks. 

He looks over at Tessa who winks at him. It’s going to be fine. They’ve got each other. They’ve got _this_.

* * *

Things aren’t always perfect, hockey is still dangerous and so is figure skating, but treading lightly never got anyone anywhere, and Tessa and Scott see that now. Their girls - their little bulldozers - knew it from the very beginning, and they couldn’t be more grateful. Even if it means they have to answer the hard questions sometimes. They’re going to be a family. 


End file.
